Letting Go of Pain Revised!
by MyLittlePuppy
Summary: i stink at summaries, i don't know...just R&R...basically, Emma has cancer and has never told anyone before. Sequel will start being written later tonight. Enjoy, it's a long one!


**Chapter 1**

Emma Nelson sat in the doctor's office once again. She was a girl of fifteen, approximately 5' 6", and 115 pounds. As she went into the room to receive her chemotherapy treatment once more, which was all too familiar, she wondered how she had been able to keep this a secret from her friends for so long. When she was nine years old, she had been diagnosed with leukemia. And nobody knew, not even Manny. Emma intended to keep it that way, too.

Years earlier, Emma's beautiful long blonde hair was shaved off and replaced with a wig of human hair. It was the same shade of blonde, and the only explanation she'd given to Manny was that she wanted to change her hairstyle. The wig reached just to her shoulders, and was styled in her favorite look, a half pulled back ponytail with two strands of hair placed on either side of her cheeks, framing her delicate face. Manny had never found out, and Emma was surprised. But Manny must not know her friend as well as she'd thought.

Two hours later, Emma finished her chemotherapy session and thanked the doctor once more, as she always did. He was always trying his best to save her. But nevertheless, she exited the office, her face pale and withdrawn, leaning against Snake and Spike. Emma hoped that no one else had to live like this. She wasn't sure of why she couldn't tell Manny this simple fact about herself. Maybe it was because she'd kept it to herself for six years and was afraid as to what her friend's reaction would be. But at the moment, Emma didn't want to find out. She just wanted to go home and collapse weakly on the couch.

Her parents drove her home, speaking very little to her, as the chemo had the tendency to make her sick. Finally worn out after an hour of on and off puking, Emma fell into a restless sleep in the backseat next to baby Jack. Her parents wouldn't be waking her for another hour or so. The treatment center was far away from her house.

As they approached their three bedroom home that had been upgraded ever since Snake had married Spike and made more than waitress money for the family, Spike turned around and gently woke up Emma. After once again discovering that her daughter was too weak to walk out of the car and into the house, she had Snake pick her up and lay her on her bed in the basement. Emma stayed there for four and a half hours before she even began to feel the slightest bit better. The drugs that entered her body always had this effect on her. They took a long time to travel through her entire body. She slowly walked up the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey sweetie, are you feeling any better?" Snake asked his teenage stepdaughter. Emma nodded, more to reassure herself than her father. She knew he hated to watch her get this way twice a week, every week, when he'd just recently gone into remission. He prayed for her every night to come around at the next appointment. But each time his prayer had been rejected. He and his wife never gave up, though. They knew that Emma was a fighter. She liked to fight for her right. And ever since three weeks after her ninth birthday, she'd been fighting…fighting for her right to live.

Spike encouragingly placed a plate of spaghetti, Emma's favorite dish, under her daughter's nose. Emma shook her head, covering her mouth and nose. "Sorry, not tonight," she told her parents remorsefully. "I…I can't eat tonight." Emma's mother was going to protest that she should have some food in her skinny little body, but Snake held up his hand. "All right, we understand," he said, knowingly. "I think I'll go back upstairs for awhile," she told her parents. "Did anyone call while I was out of it?" Spike nodded. "The phone has been ringing off the hook forever. Manny called…and some people you're supposed to do a group project with, Chris did, and so did Sean…" her mother's voice trailed off as she watched her daughter's surprised reaction.

"Sean?" Emma asked questioningly. "I haven't spoken to him in ages, not since he started hanging out with that bad crowd in school. What could he possibly want?" Spike shook her head, showing that Sean hadn't told her anything. "Just don't be too hard on him, Em," she told her daughter. Emma nodded. "You guys can eat dinner down here," she advised. "I'll get to work on those phone calls…and if I do get hungry, I promise, I'll eat something," she promised her mother. Spike nodded, excusing her daughter from the dinner table.

Emma flopped down on her bed, just exhausted from making the minimal walk upstairs and back down again. She sighed and picked up the phone, and dialed Manny's number, trying to put on her cheerful voice. She listened as the phone at Manny's rang one, two, three times, before her friend picked up the line, and in an anxious voice, said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Manny, you called?" Emma asked, knowing full well that she had. "Yeah," her friend replied, twisting a lock of curly black hair around her index finger, and sitting down on her own bed. "What's up? I hear you didn't feel too well this afternoon. Are you feeling better now?" Emma hesitated; listening to her friend's concerned voice. Should she tell her what was going on? No, instead she replied somewhat truthfully, "Yeah, a little." Manny immediately went into perked up mode. "Good, so do you think you'll be in school tomorrow?" she asked. "Yeah, probably," Emma told her, knowing that she may not. She had had an extra dose of chemo this week, along with radiation. "Well, that's good…I just wanted to make sure you were all right, I mean, you haven't seemed to be feeling well lately, have you?" Emma shook her head, although Manny couldn't see. "Yeah, I know. It must be because winter is coming soon. I'll talk to you later, all right? Bye." Emma hung up the phone, muttering under her breath, "You have no idea, trust me."

Next, she decided to call Chris. Chris was her most recent boyfriend. Emma had always had a tendency to hop between the comfort of him and Sean, before Sean had stolen Snake's computer. The decision had been Chris, after Sean had spit at Emma's feet towards the end of last year. She knew in her heart that she loved Sean, but kept telling herself that she couldn't possibly be in love with someone who did things as horrible as stealing school property. When she dialed Chris's number, he picked up on the first ring. He had caller ID, and was usually dying to talk to Emma.

"Hey baby, what's up?" he asked, without saying hello. Emma managed a slight chuckle. "Is that how you greeted my mother this afternoon?" Emma asked her boyfriend in wonder. Chris laughed; his rich, syrupy laugh. "No, of course not," he replied in his friendly way. "But I've been expecting you. Emma smiled. That was what she loved about Chris. Even when she felt the absolute worst, he was the one that could make her smile and make her feel a million percent better. She spoke with him for awhile before hanging up and dialing Craig's number. He was one of the people that she had to do the group project with.

She got his answering machine, and Emma figured that he was out with Joey car-shopping for his sixteenth birthday present, babysitting his little sister Angie, or wasting time trying to decide whether to be with Manny or Ashley. That was one thing that Emma hated about relationships. They always seemed to form a triangle in high school. Sighing, totally exasperated, she left a quick message after the beep.

"Hey Craig; it's Em. I don't know if it was you this afternoon that called while I was sleeping. Someone from our group project called. You can tell the rest of them that I should be after school tomorrow to help work on it around 3. We can stay until five or so. There'll only be a couple more days of this, gosh am I thankful. Talk to you later, thanks. Bye."

Emma took a deep breath. Now came the hard part. Sean had called. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the number slowly, placing the phone by her ear. Sean picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" he asked. "Hi Sean, it's…its Emma…you called?" Emma asked timidly, wanting to shoot herself. It had always been so easy to be able to talk to someone like him. They'd know each other for three years or so by now. "Yeah, I know," Sean replied. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. Over the summer, I mean. I was doing some community service hours, and I realized something. And I think it's important." Emma hesitated and listened as he went on. "Emma, I…I realized that I love you…and only you, and you happen to be the only one I want to spend my life with." Emma shook her head furiously, half upset at Sean telling her this, the other half of it being angry with herself for once again denying the truth.

"Sean, look…you told me that I was special…I know that…but you've also made comments about Alex, Amy, Ellie, and I'm not sure if you really mean it anymore. I mean, I used to be so naïve, believing that one day you'd come back to me, dropping those losers you call friends that you like to hang out with. But listen to this. After stealing my father's laptop, and ending up drunk after going to my house for a nice family dinner, I don't know what to think of you. You've changed, Sean Cameron." She paused for breath, realizing that Sean had been silent through her whole speech.

"Emma…oh, Emma…" Sean said, his voice trailing off into the distance. "You've changed too. Look at you, hanging out with Jay, of all people, starting to dress more like Manny everyday. I know, I know, I screw up sometimes. But I'm paying for it…and I'm learning my lesson. I've been helping pay for that laptop for a year now, and with my job at the land mines, I almost have enough. Your father will have his computer by summer, I promise. But I love you, Emma, and I know deep down in your heart, you feel the same way too."

Emma shook her head, although Sean couldn't see. "Look, I know, everyone screws up. But the real fact of the matter is, I'm with Chris now, and I'm happier than I have been in a long time. He makes me smile; he makes me laugh, even when I'm down. And I finally realized; that after talking to you, that you don't do that. So I am sorry, but you are going to have to find someone else to love. It isn't going to be me."

Sean paused, and Emma listened as his voice cracked, "Okay Emma, if that's the way you want it to be, if you're absolutely sure…" Emma picked up the answer to his hopeful question. "That's what I want, and I'm sure of it, Sean," she whispered into the receiver before hanging up. Then she lied down on her bed and cried.

Emma knew that she couldn't deny it much longer, but she also couldn't understand it. Chris made her happy as well, and he certainly was better than Sean. He wasn't all that much of a gangster or the type of the person who went out of the way to make trouble for others or him. Yes, she was definitely better off with Chris. Or was she? Emma lied down on her bed, falling into a restless sleep shortly after.

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Emma awoke, feeling just as nauseous as the night before. She knew that there was no way that she could eat breakfast without it coming back up, and she also knew she was in for a big interrogation from her mother. Regretfully, she took a shower, changed for school in a pair of faded blue hip huggers, a red tank top that said "Baby Girl" across the front in rhinestones, and slipped into her red flip flops. She put on her wig, and after brushing it and headed upstairs to break the news to her parents.

"Morning, mom, dad, Jack…" she said, her voice trailing off, knowing that once again, another argument would start between Snake and Spike. "Why don't you have something to eat, dear?" her mother asked, and once again, Emma felt pressured. Snake took one look at her and could tell that she wasn't up for eating. "It's okay if you don't want to, you know," he told her, patting her leg.

Then the all familiar fight broke out. "She needs to eat something; she didn't eat any dinner last night!" Spike exclaimed, clearly outraged. Snake counter-punched his wife with, "God Spike, I went through three years of hell being like this," he said, indicating towards Emma. "Don't you think that she might want to take a break?" Emma hesitated, and for once in her life, she decided to take a stand. She didn't care if she got grounded for it. This had been going on every week since she was nine, and she wanted it to end, right here, and right now.

"With all due respect, could you please keep quiet?" Emma's voice struggled to rise over those of her parents'. "Don't you know that some of the neighbors on the block don't have kids, and they look forward to sleeping in? But no, on every Tuesday and Friday morning, they have to be rudely woken up by the likes of you two. And if it makes you any happier, you're both wrong. I think I'm able to choose whether or not I can eat. It's my body, and only I know how it feels!" Snake and Spike surprisingly looked down at the floor, knowing that they'd stressed their daughter out with their constant fighting, and that stress, mixed with chemo, was not a good thing.

Leaving the house furious, as she always did, she stuck a protein bar in her jean jacket pocket, and headed for the bus stop without saying a word or looking back at her parents. She caught up with Manny halfway there, and she silently fell into step with her friend. "Not a good morning?" Manny asked Emma. Emma only shook her head, and kept walking.

"Are your parents fighting again?" Manny asked, knowing that this had become quite frequent in the Nelson/Simpson household. Emma nodded and replied, "Yeah, I sometimes wonder if they'll ever stop," Manny pulled Emma towards her in a friendly hug. She noticed that Emma seemed to be lagging behind. "Are you still sick?" she asked. "Yeah, sort of," Emma said, and the two finished the walk to the bus stop in silence.

Once boarding the bus, Manny let Emma have the window seat, and then she slid in next to her, claiming the seat in the aisle. Emma reluctantly put her head against Manny's shoulder, closing her eyes in tiredness. "Not much sleep last night?" Manny commented, watching her friend with great concern. Emma nodded and sighed, her eyes remaining closed as she answered. "When I'm sick, I think all of the energy is drained out of me," she murmured. Manny didn't bother her friend until they got to school.

"Emma…Emma, wake up. We're at school!" she exclaimed. She was surprised. Emma never fell asleep on the bus before. She might relax a little, but never go right to sleep in the fifteen minute bus ride. "Why didn't you just stay home?" she asked Emma, hoping that the girl would come to her senses and go down the nurse's office. "And go back home where my parents are yelling and screaming?" she questioned in a drowsy voice. "No way," And with that, Emma stood up, yawned, and then tiredly walked out of the bus and into Degrassi Community School.

It was during lunch that Manny really started getting on her case. "Aren't you eating any lunch?" she asked. Emma shook her head, and muttered, "I forgot my lunch money, don't worry about it." But Manny wouldn't listen. "Here, have half my sandwich, some corn chips, and my extra juice box," she insisted. Emma shook her head, and instead of saying no thank you, had to clasp her hand over her mouth and run out of the cafeteria.

Once in the Girl's washroom, Emma became sick, and flushed the toilet. Then, getting off of her hands and knees and exiting the stall, she came face to face with Manny. "Go home Em, you look terrible," she advised. Emma shook her head and pushed past her friend to wash her hands and splash ice cold water on her face. She tried to exit the room, but Manny stopped her. She dragged her friend over to the couch in the girl's room, and sat her down.

"Emma, please, tell me right now, what's going on? Is everything going all right with your parents? Does Snake have his cancer back or something? How sick are you? Please, I want to know, I care about you…I…I need to know." Emma sighed. She knew that her friend was right. She couldn't hide it much longer. Reluctantly, she began telling her friend of all the horrors of leukemia.

"Manny…what I tell you…you have to promise that it stays in this room, and only between the two of us…you have to promise…now. Even Chris doesn't know about this, nobody does." Manny nodded, and held her right hand up in the air to solemnly swear. "I promise," she said gently, scooting closer to Emma.

"Manny…I…three weeks after I turned nine, I got cancer…leukemia, the same as my dad. I…I'm not really sure why I didn't tell you, maybe it was because we were nine, and I wanted to pretend that I was normal, or maybe because I didn't want this to become your problem too. But ever since, I've been going for treatments, I lost all my hair," she paused, pointing to her hair. "This is a wig, and I know that all of this is going to surprise you, but…I…I don't know, there's no real explanation from hiding this, I just hope you'll treat me the same before you knew this little fact about me."

Emma got the exact reaction she was expecting. "Little?" Manny asked, sputtering. "We've been friends since kindergarten, and this is HUGE! I can't believe you never told me before. I mean, I understand that you couldn't describe it when you were nine, but by the time we were twelve, you were fully aware of what you were dealing with! And you could've told me! I wouldn't have cared. I don't care that you have cancer now, either. I care for you, and I hope you get better, but I still find it unbelievable that you've never discussed this with anyone, not with Chris, or Sean…" Manny's voice trailed off. "And not even me," she finished.

Tears welled up in Emma's eyes. She knew that this was how Manny would've reacted. She also knew not to keep things from her best friend. "I'm still not fully aware of what I'm dealing with, Manny," she said pointedly to her friend. "I've been waiting every day to wake up without a care in the world, for this disease to be gone," she said, watching Manny's face soften. "Do you have any idea how hard it is waking up each morning, knowing that you could be in heaven the next morning? I don't want to die, and I've been fighting for my life for almost six years now!"

Manny began to sympathize. "I don't want you to die either," Manny told her. "And you're not going to. But I just wish you would've been honest with me, at least when your father was diagnosed with it. I don't want anymore secrets from you," she told Emma. She nodded, tears still falling down her face. Manny embraced her friend in a big hug. "Come here, and stop crying," Manny prodded. Emma wiped her eyes and nodded, a crooked smile forming across her face.

"Are you ready to go back to class?" Manny managed to ask. "I think we're in Media Immersion now." Emma nodded, and with her friend's help, the two of them made their way to class. Mr. Simpson was waiting at the door. Manny bounded in the door ahead of Emma. Snake looked questioningly at his daughter. Emma nodded. "I finally told her," was all she could manage to tell her father.

**Chapter 3**

After school, Emma met up with her group in the library, as she'd promised. As the day had gone on, she'd begun to feel better. She even had eaten something from one of the vending machines a couple hours ago, about an hour after she was supposed to have eaten lunch. Telling Manny about herself, and getting it all out in the open, seemed to do her some good. She greeted Craig, Darcy, and Paige when she reached the table they were at. Manny was with her. She was going to Emma's after school. There was still a lot they needed to talk about.

"Hey, Emma," Craig was the first to reply. "I was the one that called. Are you feeling better? Your mom said you might have had some sort of flu bug or something." Emma nodded. "I'm better," was the only answer she provided, nudging Manny so that she understood. She wasn't supposed to tell a soul about what Emma had told her. "So what is our topic again?" Emma asked, as she glanced over the nearly blank poster board. "It's on physical injuries." Paige reminded her.

Emma groaned silently to herself. Though she did feel loads better than last night, and even this morning, the last thing she needed to look at was pictures of open wounds. "Uh, why don't I help Em find the book sources and you, Darcy, and Craig can search the web for pictures," Manny suggested to Paige. She'd seen the look on Emma's face. "Got a queasy stomach, Emma?" Craig teased. Emma only nodded and walked off with Manny towards the books that filled the shelves of the Degrassi Library. Craig shrugged his shoulders, and the other three got back to work.

By five o' clock, they had finished their poster and their information. Paige offered to take it home that night to jazz it up with a bit more color. They all said good bye, and Emma and Manny left, empty handed, walking to Mr. Simpson's classroom. He saw the two girls coming by as he locked up the door to his room. "Need a ride home, you guys?" he asked, being very friendly, as he always was.

Manny nodded and Emma asked if her friend could come and stay for dinner. When Snake agreed, both girls hopped into the car and Snake began to concentrate on the road. "Dad…I'm sorry…" Emma told her father. Snake turned around and looked at her after stopping for a red light. "For what?" he questioned. "For blowing up at you this morning, I'm the kid, and I had no right to do that." Snake smiled, and shook his head. "Well, the apology is greatly accepted Em, but there's no need to."

Emma looked at her father incredulously. "What do you mean I don't have to?" she asked timidly. "I was downright awful this morning." Snake nodded. "I know, but Spike and I both know that you had a right to be. We didn't mean to pressure you into something you didn't want to do. We know that you probably know how you feel better than we ever would." Emma smiled. "I ate **something** today!" she pointed out. "And I think I'm going to be up for some dinner too…but a very **small **dinner. My body had so much put into it yesterday, I don't know what can go in that won't come back out."

Snake parked in the driveway and let the two girls in the house. Emma's mom stopped her in the hallway. "Are you feeling better, Em?" she asked. "Yeah…and I ate something at school too," she said, knowing that it would make her mother happy. "All right, well we're going to have hotdogs and burgers for dinner. You and Manny can go downstairs and start on your homework." Emma nodded and the two girls bounded down the stairs and into the basement.

Not long after, Emma and Manny were stretched out on Manny's double bed, doing their homework assignments. Manny stopped short and looked up at her friend. "Hey Em, can I ask you something?" she questioned. "Sure, what is it?" Emma asked, smiling. Manny stumbled over her words before getting them out in the open. "Em…what does…what does all that chemotherapy and radiation feel like?" Emma sighed, an unmistakable sigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I…I just wasn't thinking," Manny stammered, sure that she'd upset her best friend.

Emma shook her head and looked down at the floor. "No, it's not that…I'll tell you about it…it's…it's just sort of hard to talk about, I mean I've never shared this with anyone before. Manny laid a supportive hand on Emma's shoulder. "You just tell me when you think you're ready," she reassured her friend. "No hurry."

Emma liked the sound of that. Manny wasn't pressuring her into letting her whole story out into the open. She looked up at her after doing one math problem. "Okay," Emma said hesitantly. "It feels…it feels like you're dying. All of those chemicals they put into your body, they're awful. They make you physically and emotionally ill. And when they send you home, all hopped up on the meds, all you want to do is die. You feel like dying." Manny looked at her friend sadly. Then she thought of something.

"Emma…you would never…I mean…you wouldn't…" she stammered, after hearing the first time her friend talked about dying on her own. "No Manny," Emma reassured her friend, looking her right in the eye. "I would never kill myself. And if I was even questioning the fact, I would come to you, or Snake, or Spike, and they would get me help. I want to live…really, I do." Manny wrapped her friend in a hug. They finished their homework and went upstairs for supper.

Spike watched, merely impressed as Emma ate two hotdogs and drank almost a full glass of root beer. "You must have your appetite back," she commented. "I'm trying, mom," Emma promised. "I can't believe that after six years, I haven't gotten used to this, or immune to the effects of the chemo, or something." Snake shook his head sadly. "Emma, I was that way for three years, and not once did I feel any different after a chemo session."

Snake drove Manny home, and Emma padded back downstairs, exhausted once more. She used the rest of her strength to put on her pajamas this time, flicked off the light, and hopped into bed. Tomorrow would be a new day, and hopefully a good one.

As Snake and Spike went up to bed three hours later, they went to go check in on Emma. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. They stood in the doorway, saying a silent prayer. That prayer was for their daughter to be there the next morning, with them.

**Chapter 4**

Emma awoke with the birds singing a happy little tune outside her basement window. She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt good today; in fact, better than she had in a long time. She quickly showered, put on a denim shirt and a baby blue tank top with the word "Angel" printed across the chest. She slipped into her denim sandals and walked upstairs. She entered the kitchen, inhaling the nice smell of the pancakes that Spike was flipping on the stove. She looked over and smiled as Snake set a plate for Emma.

"Mmm…those smell delicious!" Emma ventured, letting the warm scent fill her lungs as she inhaled again. "I feel so much better today!" she reassured her family. "Like I'm on top of the world, it's absolutely amazing!" Her parents smiled, happy that their daughter was having one of her better days. Two pancakes with chocolate chips were placed in front of her as well as a glass of orange juice.

"Eat up," Spike advised. "Whatever power surge you seem to be on, you're going to need it to last throughout the school day. Emma gave a groan at the mention of going to school on a wonderful day like this, but she was smiling. There was even the old familiar sparkle in her honey colored brown eyes. She ate her breakfast, taking it all in, knowing that the delicious meal would actually stay in her. Snake gave her some lunch money, and after grabbing her shoulder bag, Emma was out the door, and on her way to the bus stop.

"So how do you feel today, Em?" Manny asked, anxiously awaiting an answer. "Manny, I gotta tell you, I haven't felt this great in a long time," she answered her friend's question honestly. Manny smiled. Smiling, giggling, and grinning seemed to be rather contagious that morning. It was one of the ending crisp fall days, and red, orange, and golden yellow leaves blew around lightly off the trees and through the wind. There was a huge pile right outside Degrassi Community School. Emma looked at her watch, and then grinned at Manny.

"Should we?" Manny pondered. "We've got five minutes!" Emma said ecstatically. "I say we go for it!" The two girls spent the five minutes before the warning bell jumping in piles upon piles of crisp, freshly fallen leaves. They threw them around happily laughing. Then the bell rang for all students to be in their homerooms in five minutes. Manny got up, and then helped Emma to her feet. "That was so much fun, and I don't care how stupid we looked!" Emma exclaimed. "I haven't done that since I was like, seven!" Manny said as the two girls walked into the building and stopped at their lockers together.

Alex and Jay were just across the hall with Sean, Ellie, and Amy. Having no desire to talk to the freaks, Manny and Emma ignored them as they put away their backpacks and got the books they would need for their first few classes. Alex was laughing obnoxiously. _"What is her problem?"_ Emma wondered, looking over to face them. Jay and Alex both only laughed harder. Then it occurred to Emma. Something must be different about her appearance. Sean was grinning. He walked over towards her and removed three red leaves out of her hair for her. But as he lifted out the last tangled leaf, the beautiful blonde wig came off in his hands.

Manny let out a gasp and hid behind her hands. Tears welled up in Emma's eyes as she stood there, still facing Sean, both of them speechless. Jay and Alex were both laughing their heads off in the corner, directing everyone in the hallway to look towards Emma's direction. Too much rough housing had caused the wig to come undone.

Sean saw that something was up. He handed her back the wig of tangled hair after looking from it to the top of Emma's bare head. Mr. Simpson had heard the commotion and stepped into the hallway. "What in heaven's name is going on out here?" he asked before spotting a very miserable Emma. He walked over and put his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "There's nothing more to see here, now shoo!" he exclaimed, watching as people headed off in numerous directions, still laughing and some mumbling incomprehensible words and nasty comments to friends nearby. Soon only Sean, Manny, Emma, and Mr. Simpson remained in the hallway.

"I…I'm sorry, Emma…I'll get those guys later, don't worry about them." Sean said, in a loving voice towards "his girl." Emma, still embarrassed shook her head. "Don't bother, it was bound to happen sooner or later," she retorted. "By three o' clock today, everyone will have heard the story. It might as well be told, I did a good job hiding it for six years." Sean looked at who he thought was the pretty blonde standing in front of him. "We used to go out…and you never told me this?" he questioned her. Emma nodded. "I didn't tell anybody…until yesterday…I told Manny. I didn't want anyone else to know, but…" her voice trailed off in a miserable, deaf tone.

Snake hesitated. "You know what Emma, take the day off with Manny and Sean," he offered. "You don't have many good days anymore, and you should be out and enjoying yourself. Not cooped up in some prison school." Emma gratefully accepted the offer, and the three friends went to Sean's car. Emma sat up front with Sean and Manny sat in the backseat, alone. Sean was about to pull out of the parking lot, but he turned and faced Emma. "So…" he said, his voice trailing off into the distance.

"When I turned nine, I got leukemia, like my father. I was young then, and I wanted to pretend that I was like any other normal person. As I got older, the more I neglected to tell anyone anything about this. But now the whole school is going to know. It really doesn't matter now." Sean paused, studying his ex-girlfriend's face. "Yes it does…" he said softly. "It most definitely means something to you. And I can't believe those freaks I hang out with started being annoying. I wanna cream them so bad, I can't even begin to tell you." The two of them moved closer, and then all of the sudden, Manny piped up from the back seat. "Manny's still in the car!" she announced cheerfully.

Emma and Sean both laughed. "Where should we go, Emma?" Sean asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. Emma knew that he was just being nice and sympathetic now, so she chose a place that they all liked. "The Dot," she replied simply. Sean nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. Emma relaxed, just like old times, and turned up the radio. Her favorite song, "My Boo," was playing on Kiss 98.5. Then Emma realized something…she was getting comfortable being around Sean again.

Sean pulled into the parking lot at The Dot, and the three teens got out. Sean lent Emma his do-rag to place over her now cockeyed wig so that it would remain in place. They went through the front door of the familiar teen hang out and spotted a very unhappy site…for Emma that is. There; being waited on by one of the handsome waiters at The Dot; sat Melinda and Chris. They were sharing one milkshake…with two straws!

Emma noticed them straight on. Sean eyes followed the direction hers were looking in. There they were, plain as day. "You wanna go someplace else?" Sean asked under his breath. The young teen reluctantly shook her head. "No, there's no reason as to why I can't hang here with my friends, right?" Manny and Sean nodded cautiously, knowing that Emma was going to bust them…and bust them good!

Emma made her way sexily over to where Chris and Melinda were in the middle of their large strawberry milkshake. "Hi Chris," she cooed, giving Melinda a death glare. Chris sputtered on his drink and his dark chocolate brown eyes looked up at her full of remorse and helplessness. "Hey Em," he said, as his heart sank. He'd finally been found out.

"How long has this been going on?" Emma asked the boy. Chris muttered an answer that she couldn't quite distinguish. "Speak up, Chris!" she ordered. "I said…" Chris stammered. "I've been going out with her the whole time I've been with you. I always knew you were going to make your way back to that Sean kid." He turned around and indicated towards Manny and Sean with his index finger. "And there he is, it seems as though my prediction came true," he finished, hoping to use it as a final statement. But Emma wasn't ready to end it…not yet!

"How could you, Chris?" she asked, familiar tears forming in her eyes once more. "After all the good times we've had together…after you and I…we…" Emma's voice trailed off, not noticing Sean's eyebrows rise up in surprise, and all the people in the teen hangout turn around to stare at the scene Emma was making. "You…ugh!" she said, totally exasperated.

Sean placed a firm, yet gentle hand on Emma's shoulder. "Come on, let's go," he said. "You're kind of making a scene," Emma looked around her and saw everyone staring. She nodded. "All right," she agreed. "Let's get outta this place!"

Safe and sound in Sean's car, Emma let her emotions get the better of her. As she began sobbing on her old friend's shoulder, she remarked, "I…I thought that he was different than that…but I…I can't deny it now…I know…I know that you and I were meant to be together forever, Sean Cameron. Can we start over again?" Emma asked hopefully. Sean glanced towards the beautiful blonde that was sitting next to him in his convertible. "Yes," he whispered. "And there's no way I'm letting go of you this time," he said, as she looked up and smiled at him. Manny grinned silently at the sight from the backseat. So Emma and Sean were together again.

**Chapter 5**

Emma came bounding through the front door happily after Sean had dropped her off. Her parents let her in, anxiously awaiting the details of her day. "So how was it?" asked Spike, with a grin on her face. "Well…" Emma said, with a playfully teasing tone to her voice. "I'd say it was awesome! I busted Chris who was cheating on me at The Dot, I went to the park and had ice cream with Sean and Manny, and…" Emma paused here. "I revealed my true feelings for Sean." Her parents' eyebrows shot up in surprise, but they quickly recovered so that their daughter didn't see.

"So all in all, it turned out to be a good day?" Snake asked hopefully. Emma's once glowing smile suddenly became a deep frown. "It was great…but tomorrow will be terrible…all those people…they know by now, don't they?" Snake sighed, wishing he had a different answer for her. "Yes Em, they all know about the scene this morning. But just ignore it. If anyone gets really nasty, don't be afraid to stick up for yourself." Emma smiled, somewhat reassured by her father's kind words.

Spike leaned over and rubbed Emma's shoulder sympathetically. She knew all about the morning's events. "People who are truly your friends will still respect you for who you are. You know that, don't you, sweetheart?" questioned her mother. Emma nodded. Then she took a deep breath. Tomorrow would be the day that she found out who her real friends were.

The next morning, Emma walked grudgingly behind Manny into Degrassi Community School. She had gotten a new wig that was styled in the exact same way. Her and Manny passed by the piles of freshly fallen leaves, but today, Emma had no desire to prance around in them. As the two of them reached the front door of the school building, she realized the real truth…it was time to face the music.

As soon as Manny opened the big metal door, the two of them stepped inside. Everyone crowded the hallways. They all turned to look at Emma as she walked down the crowded hallway to her locker. Some thankfully, remained silent, with almost a look of remorse, sorrow, or sympathy for the young teen. Others such as Alex, Jay, and the rest of that crowd was going wild, being obnoxious and saying things right around her. That was all right with Emma. She'd much rather have people said what they wanted right to her face. But she was nowhere near prepared for her conversation with Alex.

Alex came up and greeted her at her locker. "Hey, Baldy!" she said sarcastically, putting her hand up to Emma's wig, trying to pull it off. Since it was a new one, it wouldn't be undone for awhile. But Emma did whip around, causing Alex to drop her hands. "I thought it was Nature Girl, or maybe Greenpeace," she said in just as sarcastic of a tone. "Now you have a new nickname for me, how sweet. You know, I have names for you too, but if I were to say them, I'd be kicked out of this school. That's the difference between you and me. I know when to keep my mouth shut!" Manny watched in wonder to see what would happen, but was silently applauding her friend. "Go Emma!" she said under her breath.

Emma tried the sympathetic approach next. "You know Alex, you have only one life to live, and you should really make it a good one. You'll remember me as the little fake blonde freak that petitions for things and annoys you in some way or another. But I'll always remember you as the one who poked fun at countless people, namely me. If I were you, I'd really wanna turn my life around. Because I can't….I'd do anything to get rid of this disease. But my life has been planned for me already. You can make the change and turn your life around." Alex stood there, looking stunned, but soon she was ready to retaliate with an answer.

"Emma, you just want everyone to feel bad for you now that we found out your little secret. Well you want to know the real truth, huh? The real truth is that no one would care if you really were gone. Not me, not Sean, and not even Manny. Nobody cares. Look around, we all want you dead. We're sick and tired of you and your pathetic puppy dog acts." Mr. Simpson, who'd been watching the whole scene from his classroom door, gasped. He couldn't help it, and he'd just made himself heard.

He stood there, watching as Emma stayed right in her place, looking taken aback. Tears couldn't even form in her eyes. She was too surprised. Mr. Simpson expected his daughter to start beating Alex up, but Emma just continued to stand there, staring, mesmerized. Sean stepped out of his crowd and tapped Alex on the shoulder. She turned around and received a hard punch in the face from him.

"Shit, Sean!" she exclaimed. "What the hell was that for? I'm sure to have a killer bruise by tomorrow!" Sean looked at her, not caring anymore. "I'll tell you what that was for. That first one was for teasing Emma all of these years, and making her life a living hell. This," he said, pausing to draw back his arm and deliver a harsh punch to the other side of the girl's face, "is for calling her names this morning," and after pulling his right leg back, kneed her in her stomach, said, "and that's for wishing she was dead!" Emma remained quiet through all of this, still appearing to be in some sort of shock.

Mr. Raditch had also stepped out of his office. "Did you say that, Alex?" he asked, not having been there for the whole story. Alex nodded. "Please sir, it's not like its any big secret," she exclaimed as he then proceeded to take her by the arm and pull her into his office. Once the door was shut, Mr. Simpson walked over to Emma, and put an arm around her.

"Get away!" Emma screeched; taking a totally different turn on the comment that had been made about her. "You probably want me dead, too. She looked fiercely around at the students that still crowded the hallways. "You all don't want me living on this Earth anymore, do you?" she asked. With that, she stormed out of Degrassi Community School, with Sean yelling after her, "No Emma, I love you!" Emma ignored the comment and continued running, as Mr. Simpson and a bunch of students turned to stare at him.

Snake seemed to forget all about the stolen laptop from two years ago. "Go after her, if you love her," he whispered. "She needs some love right now." Sean nodded, and then turned to run out the door, guessing where Emma might be.

What nobody knew was that Emma had taken a power trip back to her house. No one could disturb her now. Her mother was at work for the next few hours, and her father was at the school. She went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Without looking at what bottle she picked up, she opened it, looking in at all of the small pills that sat in the container. Hesitating before taking action, she read the bottle, and looked at herself in the mirror. "If everyone wants me dead," she proclaimed, pouring a fair amount of the drugs into her hands, and tilting her mouth back, putting them in, not bothering to swallow them with water, "then so be it!"

At that moment, Sean came running through the Simpson's house, right through the front door, which had been left open, he saw Emma swaying around in the bathroom. "No!" he screamed, watching as his girlfriend fall to the linoleum floor. He walked over, examining the bottle that she still held in her hand, and read the label. It had a name on the label that he couldn't pronounce, but he saw the word "oxy-codeine" plain as day. He knew that it was a very powerful drug, especially if you just took the pills two at a time as prescribed. Sean bent over Emma, sobbing. "Please Emma, wake up…just wake up…" When no noticeable movements were made by the teenage girl, he went to the telephone and dialed 9-1-1.

"Yes, I have an emergency to report!" Sean exclaimed anxiously into the phone, and then proceeding to tell the person on the other side of the line about what he'd just found.

**Chapter 6**

Emma Nelson awoke late that night to find that she was hooked up to various machines in her cancer treatment center. An IV was implanted in her right arm and an oxygen tank was helping her to breathe. She blinked, one, two, three times until her eyes clearly focused on her surroundings. She heard voices out in the hallway, and in the corner of the room sat Manny and Sean, asleep in two chairs, exhausted from waiting for her to wake up.

Just then, a doctor, Snake, and Spike came in from the hallway. Emma's mother was holding baby Jack. Spike immediately was the first one to notice that her daughter was awake. She set Jack in the corner of the room with Sean and Manny, giving him a Tonka truck to play with. Snake remained at the door, talking with the doctor.

"Emma, you're up!" she exclaimed happily and gently. "Ugh…" Emma replied. The doctor and Snake joined the two of them at the bed. "Thank God you're alive!" her father said. "We weren't sure if you'd ever come out of it." Emma looked at him. "How can you be so happy?" she murmured, her voice weak yet hoarse. "I…I tried to end it all…all of the pain…all of the sorrow…I just wanted to go," she told her parents honestly. Spike looked at the fragile person lying in the hospital bed. There was a mirror nearby, on the wall. "Take a look at yourself in there," she persuaded her daughter.

Reluctantly, Emma turned to look in the mirror. Spike placed her hands on the shoulders of the young teen. "Emma," she whispered. "This girl isn't you." She fought the urge and looked once more. Her mother was right. The reflection in the mirror now had sunken eye holes and a bright red face. This person was hooked up to machines and other various pieces of equipment.

"I was so upset mom, and I didn't know what to do. It seemed like the only way I had control over my life. I…I guess I need some help." Snake and Spike smiled at their daughter, glad that she finally admitted that what she did meant she needed a professional to help her with her problems. The doctor came over to the lot of them. "Well, everything seems to be back in tact," he told them. Then he turned towards Emma. "You're a lucky little lady," he reassured her. "That young man over there really cares about you." He waved his hand, indicating to where Sean was stirring. "You'll be free to go home tomorrow afternoon, after your chemo session." Then he left.

Sean opened his eyes and rose sleepily to his feet. When he saw that Emma was awake, he grinned, a deep big grin, and walked over to the bed to embrace her. "Don't you ever do that again, you silly girl!" he whispered into her soft golden locks. "I'm not sure what I would've done without you." Emma smiled, and she knew right then and there that having Sean around was definitely a reason to live.

From her place in the chair, Manny began to stir slowly. After waiting a few seconds for everything to come into focus, she made her way over to her friend's bedside. "Emma, we were so scared," she said softly. "I was so frightened. I love having you for a friend, and you left in such a huff that I wasn't sure of what you were going to do. Thank God you're all right." She leaned over and embraced Emma in a heartfelt hug. Emma looked sadly at her, shaking her head. "I'm not all right, Manny," she said honestly, this time. "Look at me, Manny. These machines ended up being my lifelines. I need help, and I'm going to get some, from whomever and wherever I can. It's just sad that it took this incident to happen for me to realize that regardless of what anyone else wants, I want to live, and I intend to." Manny gave a warm smile. "Don't listen to anyone in school," she told Emma. "That was Alex just being Alex. God, I hate her. If it makes you feel any better, she's been suspended for two weeks." Emma grinned. "Yeah, actually that does make me feel a little better!" she replied, somewhat cheerfully.

Color slowly began to fill Emma's face again. By the next morning, she was ready to come home. But she still had the chemo session to go through. "When I'm doing this, I want you to hold my hand," she told Sean. "And I want you to be there too," she said to Manny. "Are…are you sure?" Manny questioned. Emma nodded without hesitating. "You both were wondering what happened during these things. And I could use some moral support." So for the next two hours that Emma was receiving the chemicals from radiation and the drugs from chemo, her friends were there, behind her all the way.

Later, exhausted from the session, the Simpson/Nelson family piled into the van; along with Manny and Sean. As usual, Emma was sick for a period of time, and all the time, Sean was holding her hair back. When she finally had everything out of her system, she settled down to sleep. As Snake pulled into the driveway of their home an hour later, he found Emma nestled in the crook of Sean's arm, and Manny silently resting at her friend's feet. Spike acknowledged it too. "Those two were meant to be," Emma's mother commented quietly. After looking at his daughter and her off-again on-again beau, he nodded, and then proceeded to wake them from their slight nap.

**Chapter 7**

It wasn't long before Emma returned to her somewhat normal life- chemo every Tuesday and Friday, and going back to school five days a week. She was first greeted by Manny, who had gotten a ride from her mother, and fell into step with her friend as they walked down the long hallway. "So…how are you?" Manny cautiously asked. She knew that this was a question that Emma hated, but she couldn't fight the urge to ask it. Ever since the incidents had started to occur, Manny took a silent yet solemn vow to watch out for her friend. "I'm pretty good, actually…I think the psychologist is starting to help me realize that there's more to life besides un-welcomed comments made by peers. I feel fresh; brand new, and I want to make a new start. And I don't want to die." She smiled at Manny, who glanced at her approvingly.

"Oh God, if you knew how many times Dr. Barton makes me say that last sentence in the mirror whenever I come into his office," Emma said with a slight chuckle, referring to her therapist. "But all in all, I'm glad; because it even took me awhile to realize that I needed help…oh crap…" she commented as she saw Jay and his dirty crew look in her direction. To her dismay, Alex came over. She was definitely not in the mood for another encounter by Alex.

Much to her surprise, Alex came over, and began to talk kindly and politely, with no rude name callings or smart remarks. "Emma…I'm…I'm glad to see you're back in school," she said hesitantly, before wrapping her in a tight hug, which Emma obviously found rather weird. "I didn't think you would try and kill yourself, you crazy nut!" she murmured before letting go of the teen in front of her. "Yeah, well, it's good to be back here," was all Emma said, trying to be civil to the gangster chick that was taking up her time. She gave a half smile, which she hoped was reassuring, and then walked past her to her locker. Manny was already at hers.

"Why on Earth were you being all buddy-buddy with Alex?" Manny questioned. Emma looked back at the girl in the white tank top, black baggy pants, and jet black hair. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I just want to be civil, I guess. I don't need her to start upsetting me anymore." Manny nodded, still not sure she understood. "Can I come over this afternoon?" she asked Emma. When her friend nodded, Manny's face immediately brightened and fell at the same time. "Manny, what's wrong?" Emma asked.

Sliding against a locker, Manny fell to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and putting her head down on top of them. "Manny…please…what's going on?" questioned Emma again. "Remember, we don't keep secrets from one another anymore." Manny lifted her tear-stained face and nodded. "Well…" she began. "I started going back out with Craig, you know. At the beginning of the year, Ashley transferred to another school, and he was heartbroken. So I helped him out. But I don't think that I helped him out in the right way." Manny paused, her eyes beginning to tear up again. "What are you saying?" asked Emma, having a sinking feeling in her heart that she knew what was going on.

(A/N: In this story, Manny did not have an abortion. Her parents finally accepted the fact that she was pregnant, and Manny had a beautiful baby girl, named Jessica Lynn Santos. Jessica was now almost a year and a half old.)

Manny took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm saying…" she started, and then stopped short. "No…I shouldn't be telling you this, you have too much on your plate already, with Sean coming back into your life, and the chemo…" her voice trailed off. Emma shook her head. "Manny," she said, her voice gentle and caring. "I will always be there for you, no matter what. Now please…what is wrong?" Manny nodded, and then continued.

"I…I think I might be pregnant again, Em. It's going to be Craig's child again if I am, but…" Manny fell silent. Emma looked at Manny sympathetically. "We'll talk to my mom tonight," she reassured her. Manny shook her head. "Thanks, I know we're going to do that," she told her friend. "But mom and dad said that if I ever "screw up like this" again," she said helplessly, referring to when she'd told her parents about being pregnant with Jessica, "I'd have to find another place to live. They say that same mistakes can only be forgiven once."

Emma looked at Manny in disbelief. "You really think they'd kick you out?" she gasped. Manny nodded regretfully. "And I'm not making the same mistake of almost having my child aborted this time either," she informed Emma. Her face changed to scared, helpless eyes. Not because her parents would find out, and get rid of her, but because if she was indeed pregnant, she would be responsible for two human lives.

"Everything's going to be okay, Manny," Emma tried to reassure herself as much as her friend. Manny nodded. "Yeah, you're right, I'm probably being foolish about the whole thing, I mean, and it might not even happen, right?" Emma nodded, somewhat unsurely, though Manny didn't catch it. "I look pretty stupid right now," Manny said, commenting about herself; sitting on the floor, in a crumbled, crying mess. "Come on, let's get to math class.

**Chapter 8**

After school that day, Manny and Emma walked from the bus stop to Emma's house, making a short detour to the drugstore to pick up an Early Pregnancy Test. Emma unlocked the front door, and stuck her head in first, calling, "Mom, Dad…I'm home, and Manny's with me!" Spike appeared in the kitchen doorway. "I'm cooking the chicken for dinner right now," she told her daughter. Emma gave Spike a pleading look. "Mom…I think the turkey can wait," she told her. Spike, somewhat unsure of what was going on, nodded, and followed the two girls downstairs to Emma's bathroom.

After letting Manny in the bathroom, and shutting the door after her, Emma heard her friend turn the lock. Spike remained on Emma's bed. "Is she…?" Spike questioned. Emma shrugged her shoulders slightly. "We don't know yet," Emma said softly, so not to offend her friend. The ten minutes seemed to last almost two hours. When Emma and Spike heard the muffled "Ding!" of the timer, they knocked on the bathroom door, and Manny let them inside.

"It…it's positive…" Manny stuttered. "I…I'm pregnant…again!" After standing in shock for about a minute, she burst into tears. Emma and Spike came forward, embracing her in a hug. "It's going to be all right," Spike told her, stroking her daughter's friend's hair. "Everything's going to be just fine. Now, please honey, calm down; or you'll upset the baby." Manny nodded, and after burying the test at the bottom of the bathroom garbage can, they walked back to Emma's bed to have a talk.

"My parents are going to hate me!" Manny exclaimed, still ecstatic. "I'm up the creek without a paddle. They told me that they were going to send me away if I ever "screwed up" like this again. I can't believe I'm so stupid!" she exclaimed, suddenly furious with herself. Spike put her hand on the young teen's shoulder. "Manny…you're not stupid…you made a mistake…everyone makes them…you do realize…you have got to tell them…and Craig…" Manny hesitated, and nodded. "That's what I'm afraid of," she murmured remorsefully.

Manny left Emma's house a half an hour later, and went back home. Her father was sitting in his big armchair, reading the newspaper, and smoking a cigar. "Daddy…how many times have I told you not to smoke with the baby in the house?" she questioned the middle aged man, while stalling for time. With an exasperated sigh, her father put down the paper, put out his cigar, and faced his daughter. "Manuela, what's wrong?" he asked suspiciously.

"Daddy…I…I'm pregnant…again…and there's no way I'm getting an abortion…so I want to know what you're going to do with me," she said, really wanting to get this over with. "I'll send you to the Philippines," he told his daughter. "You can go and live with your Aunt Jasmine. I'll phone her and let her know you're coming." Her father reached for the phone on the end table next to him. Manny took a deep breath. No way could she live with her aunt! She was fifty years old, and one of her main loves was BINGO. She took a deep breath, and started to make up a blunt lie.

"Actually, papa," she started. "Emma's family has offered to take me in as their own. They would love to have Jessie as well." Her father looked her right in the eye. He thought that she was lying. He'd always had an eye for that. Manny cast her gaze downwards, towards the floor. "I'll just give them a call," he told her. "If they do say yes, you'd better go and start getting yours and the baby's things packed." Manny nodded, scribbled down the number for her father to dial, gave it to him, and then bolted up to her bedroom. She was safe.

From her place on her bed, she could hear her father talking to Spike on the phone. After hearing her father hang up, she heard his rather loud voice shout up the stairs, "Manuela, pack your things. I'm taking you and Jessica to Emma's. Don't forget anything. You're going to live with them now." Manny looked down from the top of the stairs and nodded. This was going to be an interesting day, she could feel it already.

**Chapter 9**

Manny was greeted on the sidewalk curb by Emma and the rest of her family. Mr. Santos got out of the van, handing Manny Jessica, in her car seat. Emma then took it from her friend and held it, knowing that Manny shouldn't be carrying heavy things around like that. She put the car seat on the ground, un-strapped the baby, and held the infant in her arms. "I've had a lot of practice with Jack," she told Mr. Santos. The harsh man only grunted and nodded, handing the collapsible crib and highchair over to Snake. Manny took her luggage, and Spike took in the rest of the stuff. Mr. Santos took off without so much as saying good bye to his daughter. He was simply too embarrassed by her. He wanted to get home and watch Wheel of Fortune.

Emma and Manny put Jessica in her crib, which was now set up in Emma's room. Snake helped rebuild Manny's bed and shove it next to Emma's. The two teens were soon left alone and Spike and Snake left to tend to the chicken.

Dinner was quiet that night. Sean had come, and Emma went out on a date with him afterwards, to a horror movie. Manny stayed home and cared for Jessica, unpacking the rest of her things. She began putting her clothes in Emma's closet and some of the dresser space that remained untouched by her friend. One drawer she was going to have to share. She opened it up, and stuffed her clothes inside. Then her hand accidentally drifted upon a sheet of paper. _"It's probably a mushy love letter for Sean or something," _Manny thought to herself. Nosily, she began to unfold the slip of paper.

"Oh my God!" Manny whispered under her breath. Her hands began to shake as she read what had been written on the paper. She had to show this to Snake or Spike. Apparently Emma wasn't as "fine" as she'd told Manny earlier that morning. Because on the sheet of paper was a date- November 30th, 2005. That was only two days ago. As she continued to read further, Manny's heartbeat and pulse raced. Written at the top, in Emma's crisp, always legible handwriting, were the words, "Emma Nelson's Last Will and Testament."

Manny folded the paper back up, and ran up the stairs with it, leaving Jessica in the crib. She found Snake sitting at the kitchen table, reading the morning paper. "Snake…" she stammered. Her face went pale as her teacher looked up at her in wonder. "Are you all right?" he asked her. Manny shook her head, on the verge of panicking. "I think you need to read this and talk to your wife and to Emma," Manny told him, removing the note from her trembling hands and turning it over to Mr. Simpson.

"I…I just don't know how to help her anymore," Manny sobbed violently. "I've tried being her friend, I listen to all of her problems, but apparently that isn't enough. She needs more help than I can give her." Snake examined the note carefully, and then looked up at Manny and nodded.

**Chapter 10**

Emma practically bounced up to the front door of the house after her date with the most recent love of her life, Sean Cameron. It had been a wonderful night, all in all. Sean had come over to her house for supper, and then they had gone to see a romantic movie. Afterwards, Sean treated himself and Emma to two strawberry ice cream cones at The Dot. What made it even better was that Chris and Melinda were not there that time. Little did she know that when she entered her home, all Hell would break loose.

She unlocked the front door with her key, and stepping inside, studied the anxious faces of her parents and Manny. She saw Jessica and baby Jack sitting in the playpen, sharing some soft blocks. Everyone was teary eyed but silent. "Hey you guys," she said. "What's going on?"

"Emma, come over here and sit down please, and maybe you can tell us," Spike ventured, fighting back the urge to turn on the waterworks again. "What are you talking about?" her daughter questioned, playing dumb. "This," Snake simply stated, withdrawing the familiar folded sheet of white lined paper from his breast pocket. _"Oh shit, it's just as I'd thought,"_ Emma said to herself. _"They've found my note."_

"Where did you get that?" she shrieked, an odd noise rising from her throat. "I…I found it, Emma," Manny volunteered. She wasn't going to let the adults take the rap for this one. "I was putting away my clothes, and my hand fell upon the slip of paper. I read it, and maybe that was wrong. I thought it would be a love letter for Sean or something…but now…now I'm just concerned. Because this morning, you told me that you were doing so much better, and that you were coming around, that you were perfectly fine. But obviously you aren't."

Emma brushed off the last few comments, only taking the first two or so into consideration. "You went through my things, my private things?" she asked, with a sound in her voice that even made Manny tremble as well as her own parents. "You bitch! That stuff is private, and you know it! You know better than to go through my personal property!" Manny stared at her furious friend, taken aback. "Well excuse me for caring about you!" she said, anger rising in her voice. "I was concerned about you, and any decent friend would be!" Emma looked away from her.

"I don't need your help!" Emma roared. "No one can help me! I'm beyond repair! Even the chemotherapy doctors said I might only live for another three years. Why bother going through all of this pain when I can just finish it now? Why?" she asked, then gasping for breath, and realizing that that was the first time she'd ever told Manny that either.

"Because the idea of going through the chemotherapy program is to add on more years to your life, to make you even more capable of going into remission. We want every precious second that we can spend with you. You mean everything to us. We love you so much…Emma…your family loves you, Manny loves you, Sean is crazy about you…we'd all be lost without you." Snake said with tears in his eyes. "There are sometimes that I felt like dying too, Em…but look at me now…it was all worth it…now I'm in remission, and everything seems to be going just fine. You need to give things time to work out." Emma sniffled, walked over to Snake, and gave him a hug. Then she hugged her mother. She made a decision right then and there. This time she was going to make an effort to try…for everyone, but basically for the benefit of herself. During a large chunk of this conversation, no one noticed that Manny had left the room in a huff, very upset and angry at Emma's actions.

After the final amends were made with her family she issued them downstairs. Manny was sitting on her bed, sobbing like crazy. She loved having Emma for a friend, and she tossed help offers anywhere that she could. She didn't understand where she'd gone wrong. She felt like a failure for a friend. Friends were supposed to look out for one another and help whenever possible. Emma led her parents into the room and sat down on the bed next to Manny.

She tapped Manny on the shoulder, and her friend looked up, tears flooding her face. "Manny…I just had a talk with my father…someone that's been through all of this before. And I think that it really helped. I appreciate all that you've tried to do to help me, really, and I'm so sorry for snapping at you. I guess…I guess I just lost it…but now…now I know what I want to do with my life." Manny looked at her friend with great curiosity, her eyes seeming like an everlasting waterfall. She watched through blurred tears, as Emma took the paper she'd written from Snake, used two hands, and ripped it right down the middle, eventually creating a million little pieces. Manny gave a half smile and the two friends wrapped each other in a huge hug. They were friends again.

Snake and Spike left Emma and Manny to themselves in their bedroom, because it was almost time for bed. After having her parents leave the room, it became incredibly awkward talking to Manny after the scene she'd made only moments earlier. The two remained silent for almost five minutes before Emma spoke up.

"Thank you," she said shyly, directing the comment towards Manny. Manny looked up from the bedspread she was staring at. The twisted design was making her sick to her stomach. "For what?" Manny asked. "For everything," Emma said softly. "For putting up with me all these years, for helping me through all of this," she said, reminiscing about the past couple of weeks. "And for convincing me that I should just tell Sean I still loved him." Manny smiled at her friend.

"You really do love him, don't you Em?" she asked curiously. Emma nodded, a serious look spreading across her face. "I really do," she murmured, picturing Sean's face in her mind. "He's a really awesome guy. He just has some terrible baggage that he needs to clean up before he can officially go on with a normal life. But that's all right, because so do I; and we can help each other out."

"And I want to thank you," Manny said simply. "For helping me back when Jessie was being born, for helping me even though people were calling me bad names…and now they will again, for helping me by bringing me here this afternoon. You know, your parents are pretty intelligent people, Em. And I personally think that you should try whatever they dish out on the plate of life for you."

Emma nodded. She knew her friend was right. Tomorrow would be a brand new day, and a fresh new start. She was going to start thinking positively for herself; and for everyone. "Good night, Manny," she whispered, turning off the lamp on her nightstand. "Night, Em," Manny replied, turning to face her in her own bed, and smiling once more at her friend before drifting off to sleep.

**Chapter 11**

The following day, Emma Nelson was lying on her bed, starting her biology homework when the phone rang. She rolled over to pick up the receiver on her night table, but as she started, she realized that Spike had gotten to it first. She lightly placed the phone back in its cradle and turned back to the biology question about mutations in her workbook.

Shortly after, Emma's mother came downstairs and knocked softly on the door. Manny was sitting on her bed feeding Jessica, so Emma said, "Come in." Spike entered the room, and sat down between the two girls and the infant. She took a deep breath before blurting out the moment of truth.

"Em, that was your doctor on the phone," she told her daughter hesitantly. "Now I don't want you to get all stressed out or anything, but he wants to see us in his office as soon as possible today. Manny's got her doctor's appointment for the baby, and I figured I would take her for that. Snake will take you to the doctor." Emma nodded, although she was sad that her parents both couldn't be in the same place at once. Manny looked up, her face seemingly sad. "It's going to be fine, Manny," Emma told her friend. "But you have to tell me everything when you get back!" Manny nodded, remaining silent. She was about as excited as Emma. Neither one of them was looking forward to their doctor's appointments.

So without much more delay, Snake came home from grading tests at Degrassi Community School, and Emma went to his car. Spike and Manny went in the other vehicle, and the two automobiles sped off in different directions.

**Part 1**

Spike and Manny arrived at the doctor's office shortly. After what seemed like hours, Manny's name was called, and both of them followed the doctor into a sonogram room. "Hello Manny," the woman said, putting gel on her stomach. 'How are we doing today?" Manny shivered a bit at the coolness of the gel, but quickly recovered. "Pretty good, but I've been better." The doctor nodded, understanding. She began moving the device around on the young teenager's stomach.

"Well, everything seems to be in tact," replied the nurse. "Your babies are very healthy." Manny smiled. "Thank you…wait a minute…did you say "babies…as in the plural…as in more than one?" The doctor nodded and Spike held onto Manny's hand tightly and reassuringly. "It's going to be all right," she whispered to her daughter's friend. The doctor watched, slightly amused. "Would you like to know the genders?" she asked. Manny nodded. She might as well know what she was in for.

"Congratulations, you're going to be having a little girl and a little boy!" the nurse said, perhaps a bit too excitedly. Manny forced out a smile. "Well…gee…" she murmured stupidly. She was speechless. She wasn't quite sure of what to say. "Thanks," she remembered to tell the doctor, and then she and Spike exited the room. They walked down the hallway and made an appointment for a month from now. Then they both walked out of the building and back into the car.

As soon as Manny situated herself in the front seat, Spike noticed the teenager's face visibly pale. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asked. Manny sat there stunned. "Suddenly I'm responsible for Jessica…and two more human lives," she said, her voice sounding out in the distance. Manny forced another smile. She knew it was supposed to be fine, she was getting the support and help that she needed. But she still couldn't help but wonder what life was going to be at fifteen, caring for three children.

**Part 2**

Snake pulled into the parking lot of the chemotherapy medical center. "It's going to be all right," he told his daughter, noticing that she was nervous. Emma had barely said a single word since the two of them entered the van. "You're probably right," she said, taking a deep breath. She could do this…she could.

The doctor was surprised to see that they'd come rather quickly, and ushered them into his office. "Well, I called Emma and at least one adult down here," he started, "because an important event has seemed to have taken place. Emma will no longer need to receive chemotherapy treatments, at least for awhile. Her most recent tests have come back this morning. Emma seems to be on the brink of recovery. As of today, she is in remission!" He paused, waiting a minute or so for it to all sink in. Snake looked at his daughter, tears of joy running down his face. He was so happy for her, and if he and Spike were lucky, they wouldn't have to see their daughter in any more pain.

"Oh, Em…" he said, his face shining with joy and happiness. He embraced her in a giant hug. "I…you mean…you mean…I'm cured?" Emma asked, still very unbelieving. These sorts of things didn't happen every day. The doctor nodded, a huge grin appearing over his own face. "Now we will have to make appointments three times a year to make sure that the cancer hasn't come back…" the doctor's voice went on, but Emma wasn't listening. As of right now, she was currently cancer free!

After making a much dreaded appointment, Snake and Emma left the building, absolutely ecstatic. Emma didn't know what to think. She was so happy. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her mother…and Manny…and Sean, yes, she would have to call Sean!

**Back at home**

"We're home!" Snake said, his face glowing. He and Emma made their way into the living room, meeting up with Manny and Spike. "What's all this?" Emma asked, studying the mess on the floor. "Manny and I went on a little baby shopping spree," she said. "But there's…there's two cribs," Emma remarked, stating an obvious fact. "That's right," Manny said softly. "I'm…I'm having twins! I'm having a boy and a girl!" Emma and Snake congratulated Manny, and then fell silent. Finally, Spike hesitantly asked, "How was the treatment center?"

"I'd say it was pretty awesome!" Emma replied, with a huge smile spread across her face. Spike looked up at her husband questioningly. "Our baby did it!" he whispered excitedly. "Emma did it. She made it through. As of today, she is in remission!" Manny grinned, and wrapped her friend in a gigantic hug. "That is great!" she said happily. Emma could only smile. "Congratulations honey!" Spike said, giving her daughter a hug next. After much praise and joy flying around the room, Snake announced, "This calls for a special celebration! Who wants steak for dinner?"

Emma told her father yes, and then turned to her mother. "May I go call Sean?" she asked her. When her mother nodded, both Manny and Emma made a mad dash for the basement. Emma anxiously dialed her beau's phone number, and put the receiver up to her ear. She waited impatiently as the other line rang one, two, three times, before Sean picked up.

"Hey honey, what's going on?" Sean greeted Emma. Like Chris, he had the privilege of having caller ID. Emma smiled at the sound of being called "honey," and began to talk excitedly. "Sean, I went to the doctor's today," she told him. "Is something wrong?" he asked, immediately concerned. "No…no…I have some great news!" she said. "I'm in remission!" She could almost feel Sean smiling through the phone. "Emma…that's…that's awesome!" he said, truly happy for her. "I love you, you know. And I'm so proud of you for making it through!" Emma grinned. "I love you too, and thank you," she replied, before inviting him over to dinner and telling Snake to put another steak on the grill.

While the food was being cooked, Manny and Emma sat on their beds, trying to finish what was left of their homework. But for obvious reasons, neither of them could concentrate. "So Manny…" Emma asked. "What do you think you're going to name your babies?" Manny smiled to herself. "I kind of like the sound of Stephanie Anne and Adam Jacob." Emma nodded. She'd always liked those names as well.

"Emma…Manny…dinner!" Snake yelled down the basement stairs. "And Sean's here!" Spike added. Emma looked out her basement window. She saw Sean walking in the direction of the Nelson/Simpson house. "What are we waiting for?" she asked Manny cheerfully. "Come on, let's go!" Manny nodded briefly and then followed Emma up the stairs for a pleasant celebration dinner.

**Chapter 12**

The next day, which was a Saturday, Emma woke up early, much to her dismay. Manny had been next door, in the bathroom that they now shared, puking. Emma groaned silently to herself. This was the "major joy" of having children. And her friend was having two, so with her luck, she would be woken up with twice as much barfing. Sighing and rolling out of bed, Emma went over to the bathroom and knocked on the door lightly, so not to wake her parents, Jack, or Jessica.

"Manny…are you all right?" Emma asked hesitantly, opening the door a crack. Manny was on her hands and knees, looking into the toilet, as though something else was going to happen. "I'm sorry I woke you, Em," Manny mumbled before leaning over the edge once more to throw up. Emma quickly pulled her friend's hair back into a ponytail with her hands. "Don't worry about it," she whispered. She helped Manny get cleaned up and back into bed. But neither of them could get back to sleep.

Finding it useless to sleep any longer, the two girls quietly turned on Emma's television and watched a Spongebob Squarepants episode. Afterwards, Snake and Spike came down the stairs drowsily, asking what their girls wanted for breakfast. Manny responded by putting her hands to her mouth, and dodging towards the bathroom, but Emma made a suggestion. "Waffles," she said lightly, watching her parents curiously let their gaze fall upon the sudden path her friend had just made.

Manny arrived at the breakfast table, a little later than the rest of the family had expected. "God, I can't wait for this part of the pregnancy to be over," she commented. Spike gave her a sympathetic glance, and in the end of the entire meal, Manny was able to keep down one waffle. And quite frankly, she was pleased with herself!

"Mom, can I hang out with Sean today?" Emma asked. She was dying to see him, although he'd just come over for dinner last night. Snake and Spike looked at each other and nodded. Spike had to go and waitress at Denny's practically all day, but given that it was the weekend, Snake would be home watching Jack. "You wanna go too?" Emma asked Manny. Her friend shook her head. "I'll stay home and help with Jessie and Jack. Besides, I still need to get the new babies' part of our bedroom finished." Emma nodded. Truthfully, she was happy. But she knew that offering to invite Manny along was the polite thing to do.

"When will you be back, Em?" Snake questioned. Emma shrugged her shoulders. She would spend forever with Sean if she had the choice. "Give me a time," she suggested. "And I'll be back by then." Snake nodded. "Dinner?" he asked his daughter. "Be home around six-ish, give or take fifteen minutes?" Emma nodded. "All right," she agreed, slipping into her sandals and putting on her watch. She set the time for it to beep at six.

Emma practically ran all the way over to Sean's trailer home. Knocking on the door, she grinned. This was her day to spend with Sean. No one was going to spoil it. She laughed as Sean tiredly opened his front door, and seeing the beautiful blonde. "What time is it?" he asked drowsily. "It's about ten-thirty!" Emma said way too cheerfully to Sean's liking. "Emma…are you insane?" he joked with her. "You know I don't even open my eyes until at least noon!" Emma only shrugged and smiled once more. "Fine, I'll come back later, I'm sorry I woke you…" she paused, giving him a kiss on the cheek and going back down the porch. Sean laughed. "Come back!" he said. "I didn't mean you should go!" Emma smiled and turned back around, her eyes shining brightly than they ever had before.

"So what are we doing today?" Sean asked his girlfriend curiously, rubbing the remainder of sleep out of his eyes. Emma shrugged. "Wanna go to the movies? Or to the park? Or out to lunch, in a little while?" Sean also was unsure of what he wanted to do. 'Wanna watch some television?" he asked. Emma shrugged, and then nodded. Sean picked the remote up off of the coffee table. "No laughing at what I watch on Saturday mornings," he warned her. Emma pretended to lock her lips shut and throw away the key. But she was grinning.

Her smile grew even larger yet as she watched her boyfriend switch to a channel that showed Tom and Jerry cartoons practically all morning long. She couldn't help it. A little giggle escaped her lips. "You think that's funny, eh?" he asked her, grinning all the same. He bounded over to the couch and started tickling her.

"Okay…okay, you can stop, Sean!" Emma said, laughing and gasping for air. "I surrender, come on, get up! My ribs hurt from all this!" Sean relented, sighing happily and leaned back on the couch. Emma finished her giggling fit, and then snuggled up closer to Sean, putting her head on his shoulder. "You all right, Em?" he asked curiously, stroking her blonde hair more carefully this time. Emma nodded and sighed, her eyes closing gently. "Mmm hmm," she said, looking up at him.

When the cartoons were over an hour and a half later, Sean smiled happily. "Hey, I've got a surprise for you," he told her. "Come on, let's get in the car." Emma reluctantly agreed. "So where are we going?" she asked. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?" he asked, teasing her a bit. He knew that his girlfriend hated waiting to find out things, but that when she did find out, she usually loved them. He turned down a side street that Emma was unfamiliar with. He parked in the middle of nowhere. "Okay, hop out," he instructed her. Emma looked at Sean as though he were out of his mind. "Are you kidding?" she asked. Sean nodded, laughing and opening the car door for her.

When she got out, Sean grabbed a picnic basket that had been hiding in the trunk. "I thought that it would be nice if we went on a little picnic," he told her. "If that's okay with you, I mean." Emma smiled and nodded. "You know what? I think I'd love that." "Hey, let's follow this trail, maybe it will lead somewhere," Sean pointed out a trail of pink and yellow rose petals, and started walking along the trail. Emma looked and followed in the direction of her beau.

Once they had arrived at the spot, Emma took a deep breath in. She considered this to almost be magical. "Oh Sean," she said, the sparkle never leaving her eyes. "What, are you surprised that the tough, motorcycle riding Sean Cameron has some romance in him?" he asked her playfully. Emma nodded, laughing slightly, and the two of them sat down to enjoy a lovely picnic.

"Well, I think we'd best be getting back," he told Emma. "Your parents expect you to be home soon. Emma took a brief look at her watch. It read 4:30. "How about a short stroll through the park?" she suggested to him. "We can get ice cream." Sean nodded and followed as Emma led the way to the ice cream parlor.

The truth was that Emma really never wanted this day to end, but she knew deep in her heart that it had to. She gave a brief sigh as Sean led her up to the front porch, kissing her tenderly on the lips on the front porch. "Goodbye, Emma, see you tomorrow," he told her, sending a smile in her direction. Emma nodded. "Goodbye, Sean," she whispered before turning around to let herself in through the front door.

**Chapter 13**

Some months passed, and it was now the end of the school year. Everything was going relatively smoothly. It was June, and report cards had just been sent home, along with the students. A whole summer was ahead of Manny and Emma. Manny was about seven months pregnant by now, and the baby was due in early August. Manny had taken her exams online at home, having left Degrassi in early May. Carrying two babies was not all that easy.

After Christmas, Manny had worked up enough of nerve to clear up the rumor that had been going around the school. Craig had found out that the babies were his and hers. She had had to tell him, because she it wasn't long after that she began to show. So far, Craig had supported Manny 100. He wanted to marry her when they got out of high school, but he'd been waiting for the right time to tell her. After all, they were just entering the eleventh grade in twelve weeks. It was a little too young to think about these sorts of things. Manny still lived at Emma's house, and Snake and Spike turned out to be very supportive and helpful. Jessica was now almost two years old, and Jack had just recently turned two.

Emma had remained in remission for the past months or so. Best of all, she was still with Sean. He was better than she'd ever expected. He used to be this motorcycle riding dude with a do-rag who acted all gangster. Now it seemed as though he'd transformed into the romantic type who was fun loving; and the two of them seemed to agree with each other on more things every day. Emma was also planning on marrying Sean within the next three years or so. Her and Sean and Manny and Craig were two couples that really seemed to be in love.

Spike watched as her daughter was rushing home from the bus stop that afternoon. Emma was running for her house, ready for freedom from school for a long while. It wouldn't hurt. Her mother laughed gaily as she unlocked the front door for her, and Emma paused for breath, once she was inside the house. "Did you have a good last day?" Snake questioned, coming in the door after her. Emma nodded. "We got our report cards and exam grades back today," she informed her parents, indicating hers and Manny's, which she was holding.

Spike took hold of Emma's report card first. "Let's see…" she began, starting to browse down the list of academic courses her daughter had chosen that year. She read the card aloud so that Snake could hear as well. "Well, you got the following- Math-85, Science-91, Global-94, English-98, French-96, Health-93, Media Immersion-95, Gym-99, Chorus-99, and Art-90. Awesome, Em…great job!" Emma smiled, taking a moment to be proud of herself. Then Spike's hand flew over to Manny's report card.

Manny was coming into the living room when she saw Spike. "They're all going to be F's," she mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I missed two months of school. It's hopeless to be expecting good grades from me." Spike shook her head and smiled, opening up the envelope. "Not bad at all, Manny," she commented, showing her the report card. It showed only a few less A's than Emma. Her grade point average was a 95 whereas Emma's was a 97. "Those are going right up on the fridge," Snake promised. Manny and Emma looked at each other and smiled. Then, all of the sudden, Manny's happy eyes changed to scared, yet excited eyes.

"Spike!" she gasped. "Something's going on, something's wrong! The babies…the babies are coming…and its two months early!" Spike looked in the direction of the young teen. "All right, we're going to have to head off to the hospital. Snake, stay with Emma, Jessica, and Jack. We'll probably see you in a day or two!" Spike quickly packed some of Manny's things in a bag, reassuring the girl that when dealing with having more than one child, the babies seemed to come earlier. This calmed Manny down…but only a bit. Emma and Snake watched from the living room window as Manny and Spike got into the car and sped off in the direction of the hospital.

Emma waved, and then turned away from the window. "Your mommy is pretty awesome," she whispered to the cooing baby. "She loves you very much, and now, just think…you're going to be a big sister. Are you going to like that?" Emma smiled at Jessica as she watched the baby kick her feet up in the air playfully and smiled, showing some recently grown in teeth. "Your mom is strong, and she's going to be fine," she promised the young child, trying to reassure herself just as much as the baby.

Emma stopped short, and then picked up the telephone. She frantically dialed Craig's number at home. She tapped her fingers on the end table, growing anxious and impatient. Emma listened to the phone ring, once, twice, three times, before Joey, Craig's stepfather picked up. "Hello?" he asked. Emma asked to speak to Craig.

"I'm sorry Emma, he's not here right now," he said, pacing the floor of his house. "He's out with Jimmy, Spinner, and Marco, driving around in his new sixteenth birthday car. Emma, is something wrong?' Joey asked, sensing the urgency in her voice. "Manny's having the babies!" she exclaimed. "I'll call Craig's cell phone," Joey promised, before hanging up.

**In Joey's house**

"Hey Craig; its Joey! Manny's having the babies!" Craig gasped, almost running a red light. "Thanks," he said, switching off his phone. "There's been a slight change of plans," he told his friends. "Manny's having the babies! I'm going to be a dad! Again!" Spinner and Jimmy laughed at the frantic look on their friend's face. "Shut up," Craig responded, turning the car around in the opposite direction.

**At the hospital**

"Is a Manny Santos checked into this hospital?" Craig asked the receptionist, out of breath from tearing through the building. The person behind the desk nodded and smiled pleasantly. "Manuela Santos, room 219," she said, smiling as she watched Craig nod and run for the elevator with his buddies. He knocked on the door when he found it. "Craig, thank God you're here!" Spike exclaimed, practically pulling him and his friends into the birthing room.

"Well, apparently, Emma called Joey, and that certainly smart of her. She's been asking for you, Craig," Emma's mother commented, leading him to Manny's side. "Hi, honey," Craig told the teenager, tears forming in his eyes. This was one of the few times that a "real man" like him ever cried.

"It's gonna be fine, right, I mean the babies are early, but we were prepared." Manny said, her voice trailing off as another contraction occurred, showing Manny's heartbeat quickening on the monitor. Craig nodded, and let Manny take his hand and squeeze it; thanking God he finally got a real family van. He certainly was going to need it soon.

**Chapter 14**

Some hours later, the doctor told Manny that it was time to push. A very nervous teenager nodded, grasping Craig's right hand for support. Breathing heavily, the young girl leaned forward, using all of her strength that she had to push hard. "I see a baby's head!" the nurse exclaimed. Manny became excited after hearing this, and only after some minutes were the babies born.

Stephanie Anne and Adam Jacob," Manny murmured to herself, looking at the recently born daughter that was being placed into her arms and her bouncing baby boy who was being cradled in Craig's. "We have two more children!" Manny said, smiling towards Craig. This had all happened pretty fast. All Craig could do was grin back in complete and total awe and wonder.

"I'll be right back," Spike whispered to the newly once again adjusted young mother. Manny nodded. "It will give you some alone time with Craig and your new little ones…plus, I'm going to call Snake and Emma and tell them. This is pretty exciting!" Manny nodded in agreement and watched as Spike went out of the room and down the hallway.

"Hello, is Snake there?" Spike asked the person on the other end of the line. Emma furrowed her brow on her end of the phone. "Mom?" she questioned. "Yes Emma, it's me, thank God you're there!" she said, becoming ecstatic. "Did Manny have the babies?" Emma asked in wonder. Spike smiled although her daughter couldn't see her actions over the telephone. "Yes she did, and they're both healthy. Stephanie Anne is older by six minutes. She weighed six pounds and four ounces. Adam Jacob is younger, and he weighed six pounds, two ounces. We're going to be here for the next day or two; do you think that Snake and you could hold down the fort for awhile?"

Emma smiled; glad that all was well. "Mom, we've been sitting here waiting in anticipation for hours now, and nothing is blown up or burned down. I think we can withstand a couple of days more," she commented, rolling her eyes at Snake to show how crazy her mother was being. "We'll see you on Saturday then. Yeah, we love you too…sure you can talk to dad," Emma said, motioning for her father to come to the phone. "Bye, see you Saturday," she told her mother before handing the phone over to her father.

Emma rushed down to her room to give her parents some privacy while they chatted on the phone about Manny and the new arrivals. She decided that a nice soothing bath would be good right about now. After a long day like this, almost anything sounded good. She quickly undressed. As she was preparing to step into the tub, she glanced at herself quickly in the mirror. Were those dirt marks? Emma rubbed under her arm viciously. No, they were bruises. What had she done? She didn't recall injuring herself at all this week. Then all of the sudden, a thought clicked in her mind. "Dad!" she screamed loudly.

Emma listened as her father said a quick good bye to Spike and then rushed down the stairs to his daughter's bed and bathroom. "Emma sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked, tentatively glancing in the direction of his daughter's eyes. Emma stood there, in front of the mirror, seemingly unaware that she was fully exposed to her father's view. "Did…did you hurt yourself?" Snake managed to ask. Emma shook her head no, and then ran over to her father, starting to cry. "I think my cancer's coming back! And it's been almost six months since…" her voice trailed off as her father began stroking his daughter's recently grown back hair that reached to her chin. "Calm down," he said, with a sinking feeling in his heart. "Take your bath, and then we'll take you to the treatment center tomorrow afternoon." Emma could only sniffle and nod. Did God really want her to die?

**Chapter 15**

Emma sat by her father nervously the next morning in the waiting room of the treatment center. Snake was impatiently flipping through a magazine, not bothering to read any articles or look at any interesting ads. Emma thought of something as she sat in the chair next to him, scared for her own life.

"Dad…did you tell Mom or Manny about this last night?" she asked her father, turning to face him with large frightened eyes. Snake shook his head. "No…I didn't want them to worry about anything. They'll come home soon enough…and if anything is wrong, we'll tell them then. If the tests come back negative, then we won't even have to worry about it for now." Emma nodded, wiping some stray tears from her face.

"It just feels…I don't know, sort of wrong that they don't know about this," Emma commented, trying her best to calm herself down. "I don't like keeping secrets from anyone, especially my family members. Mom was here the first time she and I found out about this." Snake responded by stroking his stepdaughter's short blonde hair. "Everything's going to be all right," he whispered into her ear. "I promise."

"Emma Nelson?" the doctor called from the corner of the long and winding hallway. "Your specialist is free to see you now." Emma nodded and her and Snake got up, making the long and dreadful journey into the examination room.

"Step up on the scale," the doctor first instructed the young teen. Emma did as she was told, slipping out of her sandals and onto the cold scale. The doctor glanced across the top of the device, waiting for it to even out. When it did, he marked a number down in his book. "105," he remarked. "That's ten pounds less than a couple of months ago."

The specialist spent the next two hours or so doing some tests as well as a full body examination on Emma. Snake waited in the corner of the room, sitting anxiously on a chair. He looked as though it was him about to meet his own fate instead of his daughter. Emma kept trying to give her father reassuring smiles. So far, she had tried to have a positive attitude and outlook on the way things were shaping up.

The doctor ran his fingers over Emma's bruises. "Do these ones here hurt?" he asked, cautiously glancing at them. Emma reluctantly shook her head. "No," she murmured. The doctor sighed. "Please tell your father to come here," he instructed her. Emma nodded and went to go and get her father.

The all too familiar scene of the doctor's office; with Emma and Snake sitting in two large business chairs on one side of the desk while the doctor sat on the other was getting quite nerve-wracking. "Well, the tests have come back…and they do show you positive for leukemia once again. We can try to start treatments as soon as possible, and since we've caught it early on again, we may be able to treat it quickly. Now, your chemo sessions can resume on…" the doctor continued to ramble on, but Emma's mind was traveling elsewhere.

The sixteen year old immediately blew her "everything's going to be okay" cover. She turned and looked at her father, beginning to cry even more. The tears just flooded down her cheeks freely now, and Snake could only hold her close to him. He was in such shock that he wasn't quite sure what to do. He knew that she needed some reassuring words from an adult right now, but he wasn't quite sure where to find them.

Before going home, the doctor shaved the young girl's head once again, and Emma received her first chemo treatment in the past few months or so. She sat through the whole thing stunned, and once the drugs and chemicals entered her body, her systems didn't know what to think. It wasn't used to the medication. She was sick for two whole hours this time as Snake drove her home. Back at home, Spike, Manny, and the new babies were anxiously pacing the house, wondering where it was that Emma and Snake might have gone.

**Back at home**

Emma and Snake came through the doorway around five o' clock in the afternoon, to find a very upset Spike and an equally frightened Manny. "Where have you been?" Spike yelled. "We've been home for ages, and you didn't even leave a note or anything! What sort of respect is that showing someone?" There was no doubt about it, Emma's mother was clearly on another one of her rampages.

"Spike…maybe you should just calm down a second," Snake suggested as he and Emma sat down on the couch. Manny and Spike curiously sat down, looking at Emma, who was clearly sick, and didn't know what to think. Then, all at once, Manny noticed. "A wig…" she murmured, seeing the familiar hairstyle placed upon her friend's head. Emma could only nod before having to run downstairs to the bathroom to be sick once again.

"She…she's got her cancer back?" Spike sputtered, looking into her husband's eyes deeply. She couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. When she and Manny had left only a short time earlier, Emma had told her that everything was great, and that they couldn't wait to see the babies. "Why…why didn't you call?" Spike asked, glaring at Snake this time. "Why didn't you tell us?" Snake waited for her to finish her ranting and raving before he continued.

"Well…Emma was going to take a shower after she got off the phone with you last night. When she undressed, she noticed some unusual bruises and called me downstairs to look at them. I took her to the treatment center today. I didn't tell you guys because you had to be with Manny and the new babies, and we both agreed not to bother you while you were gone."

Spike shook her head. "That's totally beyond the point!" she said, now seemingly outraged. "Emma…Emma's my baby! My little girl! Manny would've been able to hold tight at the hospital for a couple of hours while I went with you. There's no excuse for this." Snake looked helplessly at Manny. "Well I figured she needed your help," he mumbled, knowing his comment sounded merely pathetic. Manny looked away from Snake. She wasn't going to help him on this one. "You didn't even call to tell me that my best friend has cancer…again!" she exclaimed, shocked. "I had had enough secrets from Emma, but you're a grown up, and you can make your own decisions, regardless of what she wants." Snake nodded. His daughter was right. He shouldn't have kept something like this from them. It was his own fault.

**Chapter 16**

Weeks passed, and months passed. In fact, it was February of Emma and Manny's twelfth grade year. Manny's children were all growing up very nicely. Craig was still with Manny and his kids 24/7, or as often as he could be, anyways. By now, Emma had been going back out with Sean for almost two and a half years now. She had turned seventeen last July, and Manny had turned 17 this past December. Emma still was battling with her cancer, and slowly, everyone at school got used to having Emma around. Most people just stood back and watched, wishing that there was something they could do to make it all just go away for Emma. They felt sorry for the teenager. No one deserved to go through something like this.

It happened to be a very important day in February at that. It was the fourteenth, much better known as Valentine's Day. Both Manny and Emma were excited. They both knew that their beaus had something very special planned for their special girls. It was Friday, a weekend day, so curfew would be extended longer than on a school night. Needless to say, both Emma's household and Degrassi Community School were alive with Valentine's cheer.

The special day started off in the first period of the morning. Roses were delivered to each classroom to various people's sweethearts. This particular morning, Liberty was walking the hallways, handing out single roses and bouquets. As she approached Manny, Emma felt her heart skip a beat. She watched as her friend gratefully received one long-stemmed red rose. But to her surprise, Emma saw Liberty heading her direction. It wasn't long before Emma had gotten a whole bouquet consisting of a dozen red roses. After reading the sweet message on the back of the small card, she looked over where Sean was sitting and smiled at him. He grinned back. "Thank you," she mouthed to him. Sean nodded and turned back to his work.

After school, the day was even more exciting. Both Emma and Manny were going out that night. They began getting changed into beautiful dresses for their big evenings. Manny wore a black spaghetti strap dress with crisscrosses in the back and Emma wore a red dress with little sequins and beads all over it. The two teenagers stood in front of the mirror, applying all sorts of makeup. Snake and Spike had given up their romantic evening for the girls. They were going to watch the four babies. Manny and Emma had promised to make it up to them some way, somehow.

Craig came knocking at the door to pick up Manny first. After a picture, the two of them left for a surprise dinner that Craig hadn't even told Emma about. After shutting the door behind them, Spike and Snake turned to Emma. "Hey Em, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" her mother questioned. Emma nodded and followed her mother, wondering what could be up.

"Listen Em, you're eighteen years old now, and I'm not as completely dense as everyone thinks. I'm well aware that you and Sean have been going out for about two and a half years now; and…"her mother stopped, unsure of how to put the next sentence. Emma gave a quick smirk, but covered it up. Her mother was so naïve. "Don't worry mom, I'm not going to do anything stupid," she reassured the woman standing across from her. "Emma Nelson, you wipe that smile off your face right now," her mother demanded, but she too, was smiling. "I just don't want you to do something that you'll end up regretting."

The doorbell rang just then. _"Thank you, Sean,"_ Emma thought, silently congratulating her boyfriend. "Got to run, mom!" she said out loud. Her mother nodded. "Just remember what I said," she warned before taking a picture of the two young lovers and watching them wander off into the night.

**Chapter 17**

**Manny's night out**

Manny watched lovingly as Craig pulled out the chair from the table at the fancy restaurant. Absentmindedly, she slipped in and Craig pulled out the chair across from her. The waiter came over, smiling and winking at them. "Good evening," he remarked. "How can I help you tonight? Maybe you would like to start off with some drinks first? Maybe you'd like some wine?" Manny grinned. With all the makeup she'd slapped on that night, she was sure that it made her look older than she really was, regardless of whether it made her look like a little hooker or not. Tonight was her special night, and she wanted it all to be worth it.

"Sure," she told the waiter, looking at Craig to reassure him that it would be all right. He nodded doubtfully. "All right," he gave in. He turned to the server. "We'll have the finest bottle of wine you've got!" Manny squealed, clearly happy. Craig sighed. His girlfriend was the most wonderful person he'd ever met, but how on earth would she act if she got drunk? Just then, he saw Sean and Emma walk in the door. Apparently both of the guys knew how to make things romantic that night. They wouldn't bother him and Manny, Craig decided.

A couple of hours later, Craig was responsibly sober after having only one glass. Manny, on the other hand, had had three, and was acting as drunk as a skunk. Craig covered his face and shook his head. She was acting so embarrassing! And what would Snake and Spike think of her? He took a deep breath. _"Calm down, Craig,"_ he told himself. _"It's going to be awfully cheeky of you, but you're going to just have Emma drop Sean and help you with Manny."_ He looked over at Manny, who suddenly had turned a deep pale gray-greenish color. "Cr…Craig…" she struggled to pronounce his name. "I…I…don't feel so go…good," she mumbled. Craig groaned silently to himself. He walked grudgingly to Emma and Sean's table.

"Emma? Can you help me here?" he asked the young blonde. Emma looked in his direction. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Manny out of the corner of her eye. "I…I think she needs the bathroom…and you never send a drunk person to the bathroom alone." Emma looked somewhat amused at Manny, somewhat disgusted and frightened. She turned to face Sean apologetically. "I'll be right back," she told him. Sean nodded, looking down at his jeans. Emma's heart sank. She could tell that he was disappointed.

"Come on," Emma told Manny, half carrying, half dragging her friend towards the direction of the bathroom. They got there just in time, with Emma having to hold her friend's hair in a ponytail behind her. This seemed slightly familiar. Except last time, it was morning sickness-and Manny was sober. "All done," Manny told her friend shakily but rather loudly. "Now get out of my face, I gotta piss like a racehorse." Emma nodded, clearly grossed out by her friend. She exited the stall and waited outside of it. After a long while, Manny came back out. The two of them went back into the dining area.

"Here, she's all yours," Emma told Craig. Craig accepted, taking the drunken teenager by the hand. She went back to sit at the table with Sean. Just then, the manager came up behind them, and tapped Craig on the shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he told the couple. "And please…don't come back until your girlfriend knows how to drink responsibly." Craig nodded, hanging his head shamefully. He grabbed his and Manny's jackets, and the two of them headed out into the night.

They were waiting for about five minutes for the limousine to come back from getting gas, and Sean and Emma walked outside. "I had a wonderful night," she told Sean. They were heading to Sean's vehicle. As the two of them were passing by, Emma clearly heard Manny say, "Can you believe Emma? I'm here, sick, and she cares more about Sean than her own friend. She's so stupid. What good is she anyways? Why did I ever become her friend again? I'm much better off with you." Emma felt warm tears start to sparkle in her eyes. "Come on, let's get out of here," Sean said softly. Emma nodded, looking away and down towards the ground.

**Chapter 18**

Emma Nelson brushed some blonde strands from the wig out of her eyes. Sean had just driven her back from his house, where they'd had a serious make-out session that Emma refused to enjoy. Lately, people's comments had really been getting to her. She hadn't enjoyed her well-spent time with Sean after what had gone on in the restaurant. Going back to Sean's house helped a bit, (A/N: I'm not too big on sex scenes LOL) but it wasn't nearly enough to mask the pain that her drunken friend had caused.

Emma sighed and opened the front door to her house, clearly frustrated. It was twelve o' clock midnight, and she refused to disturb her sleeping parents by throwing something at the wall…which was clearly what she felt like doing! But surprisingly, as she turned around from re-locking the door to the house, there stood Snake and Spike, carrying Baby Jack and Manny's three young infant children. "Em…" Spike said softly. "Keep your shoes on…there's been an accident. Craig and Manny are in the hospital. Craig seems to be all right, but Manny…." Emma's mother's voice trailed off.

That was all Emma needed to hear…the mentioning of Manny's name. She knew right then and there that no matter what happened, Manny would always have a special part of her heart. Everyone loaded into the Simpson/Nelson van and drove off towards the hospital. Upon arriving there, Craig ran up to them, and it was visibly clear of the silver, delicate tears that shone in his eyes. "How's she doing?" Emma asked in a whisper, as though speaking out loud would be enough to send Manny on the highway to heaven.

"The doctors are confirming the tests now," Craig reported, sobbing as he walked them down the hallway to Manny's current hospital room. Emma nodded, finding this all highly unbelievable. She pinched herself, and it hurt. This was definitely not a dream, and she was most definitely awake. One of Emma's worst thoughts had come true. She was living in a nightmare. They all sat down around Manny's bedside. "So tell us what happened," Snake persuaded in a gentle tone.

"Well…" Craig hesitated before replying. "Manny got a little drunk. We were asked to leave the restaurant, and I went behind the wheel to drive her home. I was sober, and I had my license on me, so I appeared to be the designated driver. Manny sat in the front seat." He paused to take a deep breath. "Go on," Spike prodded. Craig nodded and then continued.

"Well, we slipped on a patch of ice on the streets, and the car smashed into a tree. The car seems to be totaled, but I don't care. Manny is what I care about. I really love her, you know…" his voice trailed off. Snake, Spike, and Emma nodded. That was no lie. Craig had been with Manny for four years now, and they'd had three children together, whom both he and Manny loved very much. "I…I was going to give Manny this ring tonight," he stammered, revealing a small jewelry box from his suit pocket, and opening it. The open case revealed a golden banded ring with two tiny diamond hearts on it. "I…I was going to propose to her tonight…if she hadn't gotten so smashed, I mean," Craig said, stumbling helplessly over his words. "I…I don't even care about the engagement ring anymore," he murmured gloomily. "Just let Manny be all right. That's all I want."

Spike placed a reassuring hand on Craig's shoulder to steady him. She was careful, as any adult comforting a bipolar person would be. "She's going to be fine…don't you worry," Emma's mother whispered. Craig seemed to calm down a bit. Mrs. Simpson's kind and gentle words tended to have a comforting effect on the young teenage boy. Just then, a doctor in the familiar white lab coat stepped into the room. "I need to talk to you folks," he told everyone who was sitting around the bed expectantly.

Snake and Spike persuaded Emma and Craig to stay in the room to tend to Manny if she woke up. The two teens and four infants remorsefully stayed behind as Archie and Christine were taken outside the hospital room door. "Well, Manny is going to be all right…sort of…" the doctor informed them hesitantly. "You see, we have discovered that during the collision, Manny jarred her right leg and banged her head on the dashboard. Aside from a headache, her memory and learning skills will be just fine…her leg on the other hand…" the doctor started to say before he paused, unsure of how to put his words next.

He took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Manny's leg is going to take about three to four years to heal," he told the adults, whose faces instantly showed discontent looks. "Now, I was going to put her on crutches for a year and in a wheelchair for a second. She'll undergo physical therapy after that, if I see fit. The therapy will help her to regain strength of her right leg, namely her right knee. It was absolutely shattered from being jarred with such power. If Manny is awake by tomorrow, she can go home on the crutches." The adults nodded slowly, feeling unable to take all of this in at once. They thanked the doctor and then proceeded to go back to Manny's room.

Manny blinked, fluttering her eyes open and shut quickly many times before keeping them open and shielding them from the bright light that was hanging over her bed with her hand. "God, this place is getting too familiar," she murmured with a pained tone detectably in her voice. "Thank God you're all right!" Emma whispered happily, but softly. She leaned over to wrap her best friend in a huge hug; totally disregarding all that was said about her earlier that night. Then she backed away and let Craig have his turn.

"Honey…Manny sweetie…are you okay?" Craig whispered, wrapping her in his large embracing arms. "I feel as though I've been run over by a truck," she inwardly groaned, continuing to shield her squinting eyes from the bright hospital lights. "What on earth happened?" Craig took a deep breath. A lot of explaining was going to be involved.

"Well…on the bright side, you're sober…and you're alive…" Craig said hesitantly, stalling for time. Manny looked into his dark eyes expectantly. "Honey," he started. "I…I know that you wanted to start cheerleading once again, but…but the doctor says you've injured your leg really bad…I'm sorry…I'll always be there for you…and the kids…whatever it takes." Manny nodded as a frightening thought came to her mind. "I…I can't even feel my leg!" she gasped. A look of panic came over the young teen's face. "Did…did they amputate?" she asked, her voice filling the now silent room.

"No…they didn't take your leg…they drugged you with lots of painkillers…and you'll thank God for the drugs later," Snake told her, running his hand through Manny's hair. "You're going to be on crutches for a year…and about a year in a wheelchair. Physical therapy is also going to help you. You're going to be able to walk again, Manny." Manny nodded, though tears were beginning to fill her light brown eyes. The look on her face seemed glazed over, sort of far away. Then Manny broke down, sobbing and completely losing it.

"The spirit squad…my legs…my life!" she stammered. She looked over at Craig in wonder. "You're going to have to live with someone that's going to hobble around all over the place and had to wheel her everywhere? Maybe you should find someone better. You can find someone to love that is mobile all by herself." Manny looked into her boyfriend's eyes. Craig had put his finger to his lips, gently silencing her. "No Manny…no…it's you I want…I've known that since you started the ninth grade…I always knew you were the one for me." He hesitated, feeling the jewelry box with the ring in it. Now seemed to be as good a time as any to propose.

"Manny," he started, as Emma, Snake, and Spike all gasped, yet pleasantly happy. Manny looked at Craig with general interest. "Manny…I…I was wondering…when we turn the legal age…would you….would you marry me?" he asked getting down on his knee and flipping open the box to reveal his idea of an engagement ring. Manny took a deep breath inwards. "Of…of course!" she said happily, gratefully accepting the ring on her left hand and giving Craig a hug and a kiss. "Yes…I love you!" Craig smiled, and stroked Manny's long black curly locks. "I love you too," he said softly. His voice was the only one that filled the silent room.

**Chapter 19**

Manny returned to the Nelson/Simpson house the next day, hobbling along on her crutches up the driveway and through the front door. Because she was injured, Manny was now going to sleep in the guest room with her three little miracles. Once she was situated, Snake took off towards Degrassi to teach for the rest of the school day and Spike went over to Denny's to waitress. As for Manny and Emma, they had the day off. But tomorrow, they too would be returning to their regular schedules.

"Hey Manny…do you think you'd be all right if I run over to the drugstore awhile?" Emma asked her friend who was sprawled out on the couch, watching television. "Sure…do you need me to go with you?" she asked helpfully, although she knew full well that she probably couldn't help as much as she wanted anymore. Emma shook her head. "No…you stay here and relax…to be honest, I think I need some time alone to myself…say…about an hour?" Manny nodded, not fully understanding. Maybe Emma was still upset at what she'd said about her while she was drunk.

That wasn't it. Emma had just entered the drugstore. As she started to scan the shelves, she began to feel just as nervous as Manny had. She found one of the types of tests that her friend had used, and it was guaranteed 99 percent accurate. The cashier gave Emma a dirty look as she reluctantly paid for the early pregnancy test and left the store.

Since Manny had given her an hour, Emma wandered over to Sean's house. Once again, Sean had blown off the idea of going to school. Emma usually scolded him for this, but for once, she was glad. Sean answered the door. "Hey…I think I need some help," Emma commented. "And we have a lot to talk about." Sean noticed the level of seriousness in his girlfriend's voice, but tried to brush it aside. "Em…what's going on? You…you're not pregnant, are you?" he joked. Emma looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears threatening to fall. "I might be," was all she managed to choke out.

Emma took the test, and Sean and her sat on the edge of the bathtub, waiting expectantly, anxiously, and holding hands. There hearts both dropped as the timer went off on the bathroom sink. "Go look at it," Sean urged softly but gently. Emma nodded and reached over to read the test. "Sean..." she started. "The test…it's…its positive!" Sean gasped, and he too looked at the telltale stick. "Emma…that's great!" he whispered, although having babies in high school seemed to be regular lately.

Emma looked at her boyfriend and sadly shook her head. "I…I don't know if I can go through with this," she stammered. "After all that Manny's put my parents through…it would be awful to be doing the same thing." Sean took her small delicate hand and placed it in his own. "Emma…" he whispered almost silently. "Everything's going to be all right, okay? We're going to have the baby…and start a family…I'm not going to be one of those losers that walk out on their pregnant girlfriends." Emma looked at him hesitantly.

"So…you think I should have the baby?" she asked tentatively. Sean nodded, with a look of disbelief in his eyes. "Emma…if you…if your mother hadn't had you like she had first tried, you wouldn't be here…and you're wonderful…and I can honestly say that I don't know what I would ever do without you in my life." Emma smiled and nodded. "The baby deserves a family," she said. "And it's going to have an awesome family." Sean gently rubbed Emma's back. "Honey, this is just an early start to our life. We both knew deep down that we were going to get married one day. We've been dating since practically the 7th grade. We used birth control and condoms, which happened to be 98 percent effective. It wasn't like we planned this or anything." Emma sniffled and gave him a crooked smile. He was right. They'd been together for almost six years, four of them being consecutive, and they had protected themselves all they could.

"I'd better get back to Manny," she told him, getting up from her position on the ledge of the bathtub. Sean nodded. "Call me tonight," he instructed her. "We're going to need to set up a doctor's appointment." Emma smiled and kissed him on the lips, receiving a sweet one back. "I love you," she told him before exiting through the front door of his house.

**Chapter 20**

Manny was still sitting on the couch at home when Emma returned, somewhat frantic. She watched as her friend gazed at the clock warily. "Manny…I'm so sorry I'm late!" she sputtered. "Do you need anything? Do you need any help?" Manny shrugged her shoulders, and switched to another channel on the television with the remote before turning it off and facing Emma. "No…I've been fine," she said, looking curiously at the anxious person appearing before her. "Em…is something wrong?"

Emma sighed and sank down next to Manny on the couch. "Manny…I…I was so stupid!" she exclaimed, almost hysterically. "My parents are going to kill me…absolutely kill me!" Manny sat next to her, wide-eyed. "What's wrong? What did you do?" she asked her friend, placing a protective arm around her. Emma buried her face in Manny's shoulder and began to cry.

"Well Manny…you aren't completely dense…I've been going out with Sean for almost six years now…" she started to explain. "And namely, on Valentine's Day, we…" she paused to roll her eyes at Manny for emphasis. Manny nodded to let her know that she got the picture. "Well…I went to the drugstore today and bought a test…and I went over to Sean's and took it…its positive, and I'm pregnant. My parents are going to totally kill me. We used all sorts of protection, but still…" her voice trailed off into the distance as Manny leaned over to hug her. Just then, the two of them heard a door slam shut in the kitchen. "Busted," Emma cursed under her breath.

Snake and Spike walked into the living room. "What's going on in here?" Snake asked; his eyes full of wonder. "Why are we going to kill our daughter?" Spike questioned aloud, just as baffled. "I…I think you'd better sit down," Emma instructed them. "Pull up a piece of couch." Her parents nodded and sat down on the other side next to Manny.

"Sean and I…we…on Valentine's Day, we did something really stupid…we used several methods of birth control, but I…I took a test today, and it's positive. I…I'm not sure how this could have happened…but then again, you guys didn't plan on having Jack so early either." Her parents nodded, surprisingly with their eyes full of sympathy. "We figured as much…you two have been together since middle school." Spike told her daughter.

"So…can we get a doctor's appointment?" Emma asked tentatively. "I want to keep the baby…I need to keep the baby." Snake and his wife nodded, wrapping their daughter in a warm embrace. "We'll go tomorrow," Spike said reassuringly. "Sean wants to come too," Manny piped up. Everyone turned to look at her. They had all seemed to forget that Manny was still in the room.

Later that night, both Sean and Craig showed up on Emma's front stoop. Neither Manny nor Emma had noticed that the dinner table had been set for ten that night. But as the two adults, four teenagers, and four babies sat around the table, Snake tapped his water glass. "Spike and I have a special announcement," he reported, trying to get everyone's attention. Thankfully, they all looked up from their plates.

"Your mother and I have been thinking about things while we were preparing dinner," he stated. "And we both came to what we think is a pretty fair compromise." Spike nodded and picked up where her husband had left off. "We've come to the decision that when the four of you turn eighteen, you may all live with us. Manny and Craig can have the basement while Emma and Sean have the attic. But there are a few conditions."

"Number one," Snake told them. "You're going to have to pay rent for living here each month. You will need to pay for anything that is not going to be used by the entire family." The four teenagers looked around the table at each other happily. "And number two," Spike said, getting the ball rolling again. "This situation is going to only be temporary. Once you find some work and have enough money to support yourselves, you are going to have to move out and get your own apartments or houses. Is this understood? This place was not meant to be a boarding house!" The four teenagers nodded, seriously this time.

"I personally want to thank you so much, Mrs. Simpson," Craig said politely. "Yes, this is certainly is more than we could've ever asked for." Sean replied gratefully. Emma and Manny smiled at the adults. They were basically speechless. The table slowly cleared, and everyone filed into Manny's guest room, spreading out on the bed and in chairs to have a talk.

"So…what are you going to name your child if it is a girl or a boy?" Manny asked Emma; clearly excited by this whole thing. Emma tapped her chin, thinking for a minute, and then going over to whisper with Sean. "We both like the name Brandon James for a boy and Ashley Rose for a girl." Craig nodded. "What pretty names," Manny commented. "Do you want a big family or a small family?" Emma asked, bringing up the next topic, mainly facing Sean. Sean smiled hesitantly. "I'd like to be somewhere in the middle," he told her. "Not the type of family where there's an only child, but not the only family on the block that's popping babies out liked cannons left and right." He gave a cocky smile. Emma laughed.

Manny readjusted her leg so that it would be slightly elevated, as the doctor had suggested. "Craig and I want a huge family," she said, sighing happily. "Yes, we love the idea of raising a large family, with lots of love all around." Emma smiled, slightly amused. She faced Sean. "Aww, that sounds cute," she commented. "Maybe we should…" Sean shook his head and held up his hand like a cop. "Don't even say it!" he exclaimed, tossing a pillow in her direction. But he was still grinning from ear to ear

As the other two teenagers sat around them; laughing.

**Chapter 21**

The next morning, Emma was the first to awaken and run into the bathroom to be sick. She knew that it was morning sickness this time, because she hadn't gone to chemo for a couple days. She sighed and got up off of the bathroom floor, going down to join the rest of the family for breakfast.

"Your appointment's going to be right after we eat," Spike commented as she watched her daughter sit down miserably in front of a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. Emma nodded, pushing the food around on her plate with her fork. She felt too terrible to eat anything, plus she was a nervous wreck about going in for an examination on the baby.

Sean appeared shortly after, knocking on the back door before walking inside. "Hey baby," he commented, leaning over to give Emma a brief kiss on the lips. "Hi," she replied glumly. "What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her blonde locks. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "I guess I'm just sort of nervous about all this." Sean stepped back and nodded. "I'm going to be there for you, you know," he reassured her. "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you."

Not long after, Spike took Emma and Sean down to the health clinic so that they could have the first sonogram and checkup of their baby. As Emma's name was called, the young teen awkwardly rose to her feet, her knees shaking violently. With Sean's help, the two of them and her mother made their way into the screening room.

The doctor came in and introduced herself as Dr. Addams. She asked Emma all sorts of questions as she applied the cool gel to her bare stomach. She wanted to know if she had gained any weight recently, how extreme her morning sickness was, as well as some other things. Then she fell silent as she maneuvered the device around the teenager's stomach.

"Well…lots of children seem to run in this family," the doctor commented. Emma sat halfway up, struggling to see the picture of her stomach moving around on the screen. "What's going on?" she asked, somewhat frightened, somewhat excited. Sean too peered at the screen and held Emma's hand. The doctor's face brightened slightly.

"Well…first let me congratulate you…and secondly, I can probably guarantee you that you are the first teenage couple to be having quadruplets…two boys and two girls…as of late November…approximately the 26th." The whole room fell silent as the most recent information seeped into their brains. "I…I'm going to be a mother of four…right off the bat…just like that?" Emma stumbled over her words, still in partial shock. Sean was speechless. All he could do was grin even larger and squeeze Emma's hand even tighter. Spike rubbed her daughter's shoulder affectionately. "I think I **_am_** running a boarding house now!" she commented.

Emma turned to face her mother. "That's right…are you sure you still want us to start living with you? I mean, you already have Manny, me, baby Jack…you offered to let Craig and Sean move in with us…but four more babies? Can we really do this?" Spike hushed Emma, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't get yourself all worked up," she told her daughter. "We're family now, and we're going to figure out something. Some way, some how, we will make ends meet." Emma gave a half smile. At least her mother's words were reassuring for a little while. Or at least until they returned home and Emma saw how little space there was.

**Chapter 22**

"What are you doing, Sean?" Emma asked one summer afternoon. The twelfth grade year was over, and it was now the middle of a scorching hot summer. Sean looked up at his soon-to-be wife. He had proposed on the last day of school, complete with kind words, a huge teddy bear, box of chocolates, and a beautiful engagement ring, which had to be hard for him to pay for since he'd just recently gotten off of student welfare. "I'm making a surprise for your parents," he told her. "Don't let the secret get out."

Emma smiled and nodded. "I won't tell," she promised. "But what is it exactly that you're doing?" Sean looked back at her again and grinned. "I'm making houses!" he proclaimed. "Come again?" Emma asked, unbelieving. She knew that Mr. Ehl, Sean's old woodshop teacher had taught him lots, but she didn't remember the elderly gentleman teaching them how to make houses! "Well…actually, they're going to be more like miniature apartments," he informed her. "They'll be just big enough to house our already growing families. You know, like slightly larger sheds. I hope, or at least that's what I've been shooting for," he made a motion towards the pile of wood that was supposed to be his progress.

Emma took one look at the pile of wood and sawdust and held back a laugh. "Wow, um…" she commented, trying to find the right words to say. "It's a good thing my parents made that offer of living up in the attic. Sean laughed and swatted at Emma's butt with an old towel that he was using as a rag. "They're going to look great," he promised, trying to reassure him more than the girl standing in front of them.

Manny and Emma had decided on a double wedding towards the end of the summer. August 17th was the date they'd set, and so far, today was July 16th. Things were flying around so fast that no one knew where they were going to end up. "I guess I'll leave you to your project then," Emma told her sweetheart, stifling a laugh. She tried her best to rush back inside before she burst out with laughter. Manny, who was watching from the doorway, already had her hand over her mouth.

Back inside, Emma and Manny settled back on the couch. They were still talking about the wedding, the most recent upcoming event. "So the bridesmaids are going to wear pale yellow, right?" Manny questioned, seeing if it was agreed to by her friend. Emma nodded. "Now, Craig's sister Angie is going to be the flower girl, and Craig's picked his best man-Spinner. Who'd Sean pick?" Emma replied, "Well, he picked Jay," Emma said hesitantly. They'd finally come to terms once again, and no one seemed to be rooting for that. "With my luck, Jay will bring Alex too," she commented, clearly disgusted. But she wouldn't let the groom know that. "The reception's going to be at the Olive Garden, from three until seven. Then we have your baby shower until ten, back here at the house." Manny reminded her. "You look as big as a house. You look as though those babies could be born any second." Emma turned away from her friend in mock anger.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Manny," Emma said coldly. Manny gulped and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Em…I was…I was just kidding…come on now," she prodded. Emma turned back around to face her friend. "Psyche!" she yelled triumphantly. Manny grinned. "You're gonna get it!" she exclaimed.

Emma grabbed at her stomach. Those babies loved to torture her by kicking at her any chance they got. "You behave yourselves, Brandon James, Ashley Rose, Juliana Leigh, and Garrett Hunter," she scolded the babies as though they could hear their mother's voice already. Manny took a quick glance up from her work. "You all right?" she asked. Emma nodded. "Hey Manny…" Emma pondered. "Yeah?" Manny questioned. "Did you and Paige ever make amends about the whole spirit squad?" Her friend sadly shook her head. "She said she was sick of me, and that she didn't think too highly of someone who popped out babies left and right and was stupid enough to get drunk." Emma shrugged. "It's her loss," she commented. "Paige missed out on having a pretty good friend."

Back outside, Sean wiped some sweat from his brow with the rag that he'd thwacked Emma with earlier. He watched as Craig made his way through the backyard on the way inside the door to the house. "Hey man," Sean said, looking tired and longingly at his best friend. "Want to help me out over here, buddy?" he asked. Craig turned to face him, eyeing the large pile of wood that was supposedly being built into small houses. "Um…how about no?" he suggested, trying his hardest not to roll on the ground laughing. He went into the house to be with his fiancé. "Yeah, we'll see who's laughing later," Sean mumbled, clearly agitated. He bent back over and tried to make some more progress on his project.

**Chapter 23**

It was August 17th, and the household was full of excitement. By the end of the day, Manny and Craig and Emma and Sean would be married. Without fail, as promised, Sean had finished the two small shack-like houses in the backyard. Snake and Spike were very pleased with their daughter's fiancé's work. Going to high school without dropping out had been good for something after all.

In the basement of the Nelson/Simpson home, Spike was slipping Emma into an extra large, but beautiful wedding dress. It was a long gown, with a glorious veil. Manny's dress and veil were identical, but in a smaller size. Emma realized that they were on a budget, and she thought that for a lower cost, it definitely looked amazing on both her and her friend.

Meanwhile, Snake was busy on the upstairs level of the house, getting Craig and Sean ready for the momentous occasion. He straightened the bowties of the best men, and filled Angie's basket with flower petals. He helped the ring bearer get ready as well, and then the males proceeded to make their way outside into the backyard.

The girls were soon ready as well. Snake slowly walked down the aisle with his daughter, and Manny was walked down the aisle by Joey, Craig's stepfather. Since she was still on crutches, she hobbled down and Joey followed closely at her side.

On cue, the music was stopped, and before you knew it, the young couples' vows were being read and proclaimed true with an "I do." The minister looked at Emma and Sean first. "Do you, Emma Michelle Nelson, take this man, Sean Hope Cameron to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Emma smiled and nodded, squeezing Sean's hand. "I do," she replied with a wink. The minister then proceeded to turn and face Sean. "And do you, Sean Hope Cameron, take this woman, Emma Michelle Nelson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Sean grinned. "You bet I do," he commented, receiving a few snickers from the people attending.

Next, it was Manny's turn. The minister took a deep breath and began. "Do you, Manuela Grace Santos, take this man, Craig Joseph Manning to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Manny gazed up lovingly into her beau's eyes. "I do," she said softly and excited, her voice barely audible. "And do you, Craig Joseph Manning, take this woman, Manuela Grace Santos to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, for sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Craig nodded and smiled. "Yes," he told the minister. "Yes I do."

The minister turned the two couples around and put his arms across their backs. "I now pronounce you men and wives," he said, somewhat excited. "You may now kiss your brides." Sean kissed Emma while Craig kissed Manny. "I would like to present Mr. and Mrs. Manning and Mr. and Mrs. Cameron," said the minister, before the ceremony came to an end and everyone proceeded to go to the Olive Garden for the reception.

When everyone returned to the Nelson/Simpson house, Emma sat on the couch, and the baby shower began. They played many games such as guess the birth weight and pin the diaper on the baby. Then came the sea of presents, and it seemed as though all of the old Degrassi friends were there with cards, gifts, and lots of love. Even Alex had thought of a sensible gift. She had bought Emma and Sean a stroller that seated four babies, two in front and two in back. They knew it would be very useful soon.

Somewhere within the sea of presents, Emma's voice rose above the crowd's. "Sean," she moaned. "This can't be happening! It…it's three months too early…but I think…I think the babies are coming!" Everyone else heard her as well, and they cleared a pathway, with Snake and Spike coming up. "Are you sure, honey?" Emma's mother questioned her daughter. Emma gasped, nodding and holding her stomach. "Tell everyone not to leave, but to clear a path," Snake instructed Manny. Emma's friend nodded and whistled with her two fingers, instantly silencing everyone. "Everyone, listen please, we invite you to stay…but please make a clearing for Emma to get past. She's going to be having the babies!" Everyone nodded and gave their "good lucks" and "congratulations" as Emma, Sean, and her parents made their way towards the front door.

Emma was rushed into the hospital and immediately placed in a birthing room. When she'd gotten there, she was already six and a half centimeters dilated. She grabbed Sean's hand and squeezed it until it was purple, showing evidence of how horrible the contractions were. "I love you," Sean whispered, looking at his new wife breathing heavily, and stroked her blonde locks. "Sean…I…I'm scared," Emma confessed, tears forming in her honey-colored eyes, looking up at her husband. "I know it's going to hurt, and I can tell already, I'm not going to like it." Sean patted her affectionately. "I know you can do it, Em," he said reassuringly. "Your parents made you, and you're a wonderful little miracle. Come on, don't you want some little miracles of your own?" Emma nodded. "Yes, but I wasn't expecting to be pregnant, with four little babies, who are now being born three months early!"

This shut Sean up. Emma was right. He should be worried as heck about the lives of his children. Instead, he was encouraging her, and making her think that nothing could possibly go wrong. He knew it wouldn't work. Emma had always been the smart one. He cringed as he was reminded by the tightening of his hand that his wife was still there.

Emma's heartbeat rose on the monitor over time. Soon she was fully dilated, and it was time to push. Using all of her body weight, and squeezing Sean's hand while screaming, she gave a gigantic push. "I see the first baby's head crowning!" the doctor exclaimed, peering curiously at Emma. Emma managed a half smile, giving two final small pushes before the first baby was out- a girl. "It's Ashley Rose!" Sean told her happily, giving her a light kiss on the lips before the other three babies then proceeded to be born.

As a very tired Emma lied in her hospital bed, waiting for her babies to be cleaned off and handed back to her, she heard information flying all over the hospital. "Ashley Rose Cameron was born on August 17th, 2007, at 8:05 in the evening. She weighed in at five pounds, one ounce. Garrett Hunter Cameron was born on August 17th, 2007, at 8:10 in the evening. He weighed in at five pounds, three ounces. Brandon James Cameron was born on August 17th, 2007, at 8:15 in the evening. He weighed in at five pounds, seven ounces. And little Juliana Leigh Cameron was born on August 17th, 2007, at 8:20 in the evening. She weighed in at five pounds, even. All appear to be healthy after being born so early, none of them need to be on oxygen machines yet. If all goes well, the brand new mother and father may go home in two more nights."

The babies were brought back to Emma and Sean. The two of them each held one, and Snake and Spike each held one of their grandchildren as well. "They're beautiful, Em," Sean said, leaning over slightly to kiss his wife's cheek. Emma nodded and smiled at Juliana Leigh, who'd stopped crying and was now asleep in the safety of her new mother's arms. Her parents nodded as well.

Emma called Manny at the house later that night, long after the festivities had been over. "I don't want to brag, but they are so cute," she was saying to her friend over the phone. On the other side of the line, Manny grinned happily as her friend then proceeded to tell her all about the new little miracles that she'd given birth to. "I knew you could do it, Em," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you." Shortly after, an exhausted Emma and Sean fell sound asleep in a clean hospital bed.

**Chapter 24**

Two days later, as promised, all was well with the babies, and Sean and Emma were allowed to go home. Snake and Spike drove them as they sat with the four babies in their arms in the backseat. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Manny and some others from Degrassi Community School gathered on the front lawn to welcome Sean, Emma, and the newborns home. "Why don't you and Sean go into your little house that he built for you?" Manny persuaded, winking at Emma's parents. Emma shrugged and nodded, and she and Sean carried the babies to the backyard.

Emma hesitantly opened the door to the little home that Sean had built for them. She gasped as soon as she saw the outside, though. It had been to color of plain wood before, and now it was sided and painted a beautiful light shade of blue. When she stepped into the living room, it was furnished with all of the Nelson's old furniture. As they gazed through the small home, they realized that every room had been painted and decorated. Then they approached what they presumed would be the babies' room.

As Sean opened the door, he and Emma stepped inside. A Winnie the Pooh theme had been painted around the whole room. Emma recognized all of the babies gifts from the baby shower lined all around the room. Manny came up from behind and put her arm around her best friend's shoulder. "We thought that you guys might have fun going through this stuff together," she told Emma and Sean. "You didn't even get to see some of these things, because you had to leave early." Sean and Emma nodded, in a daze. They set their babies down in the basinets that were randomly placed around the room.

"Thank you so much!" Emma whispered, with tears of joy in her eyes. Manny nodded and smiled. "You're welcome. But just don't thank me," she said, indicating to all of the people that had come in behind her. "They all helped a lot too." Emma turned, and smiled at all of her Degrassi friends. "We couldn't have asked for anything better!" Sean insisted. "And as soon as we get settled, we're going to be sending out thank you notes like crazy."

Everyone filed out and soon only Emma and Sean were left standing in the middle of the babies' room. Emma sat down on the rocking chair and began to breastfeed the infants as Sean kneeled down on the floor, examining all of the baby stuff. "I think Manny was right," he commented. "This does look like it will be fun. Now where should these go?" he asked, indicating towards the four basinets. Emma looked up from Juliana and smiled.

"Well, let's put Juliana and Ashley's basinets over in this corner, against that wall," she said, pointing. "And Brandon and Garrett's can go over there," she said, pointing at another corner of the room. Sean nodded, and put the things where he was told. He pushed the changing table up against another wall, and a giant set of shelves against the remaining wall. He put the four high chairs in the dining room and returned shortly. For the next few hours, time was spent ooh-ing and ahh-ing over baby clothes, toys, and other things. Soon the house could officially be named "a home."


End file.
